HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Water

David Anderson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House authorities will ensure that tap water is provided in  (a) committee and  (b) meeting rooms as an alternative to bottled water.

Nick Harvey: The Administration Committee considered a suggestion that tap water be provided in place of bottled water in committee and meeting rooms at its meeting on 17 January 2006 and decided to take no action. Further consideration is being given to the provision of water in committee and meeting rooms.
	The hon. Gentleman may wish to make his views known to the Committee.

TRANSPORT

A52

Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost was to public funds of the multi-modal study into transport links along the A52 corridor between Nottingham and Grantham; which of the recommendations he plans to implement; and when he expects the implementation to take place.

Stephen Ladyman: The total cost to public funds was £822,439, which was within the originally agreed fixed-price contract.
	No recommendations from the multi-modal study have yet been implemented. The study recommendations for major road schemes were remitted to the East Midlands Regional Assembly for consideration when determining funding priorities in response to the Government's Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) process in 2006. None of the recommendations were prioritised by the region. There will be another opportunity to review priorities when the RFA advice is refreshed in 2008.

Airports: Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has carried out into the length of delays at the UK's airports as a result of changes to security measures introduced in 2006.

Gillian Merron: The management of queues at UK airports is a matter for the airport operators. While the Department is sympathetic to passengers who might have had to queue for longer than usual, it is important that security screening is carried out properly and to the required standard.

Aviation: Carbon Dioxide

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the change has been in UK carbon dioxide emissions from aviation, including the UK's share of international aviations emissions, in each year since 1990.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs publish UK carbon dioxide emissions estimates for aviation. Table 5 of DEFRA's Statistical Release 'UK Emissions of Greenhouse Gases' (31 January 2007), can be found at the following web link:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/gagccukem.htm

Bicycles

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of electric bicycle use on reducing road congestion; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: None.

Blue Badge Scheme

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the Blue Badge Scheme to meet the needs of upper limb damaged individuals; and when these changes will come into effect.

Gillian Merron: Following discussions with the Thalidomide Trust, the Department has agreed to change the existing upper limb criterion for a blue badge to include disabled people who drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe congenital disability in both arms and are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter.
	This change requires amendment regulations which we are currently finalising, along with new guidance to local authorities and a revised explanatory leaflet on the scheme. We intend consulting on this regulatory package shortly and implementing/issuing them as soon as possible thereafter.

Carbon Offsetting

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on carbon offsetting for air travel in the past 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport is a participant in the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund. Payments to the fund, which purchases and cancels Certified Emission Reductions, are made on an annual basis following the end of the financial year at which time figures will be produced.

Departmental Contracts

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which public affairs firms have been given contracts by  (a) his Department and  (b) public bodies sponsored by his Department in the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

Gillian Merron: The Department and its executive agencies employ press officers who handle its media relations with the support of the Government News Network in the regions. The Department and its agencies have used PR agencies to extend our advertising messages in support of our communication campaigns such as THINK! Road safety and the introduction of Continuous Registration by the DVLA.
	Agencies employed are as follows:
	
		
			   Agency 
			  (a) DfT  
			 THINK! Campaign Fishburn Hedges 2002-07 
			 Transport Direct campaign Red Consultancy 2004-05 
			 Climate Change campaign Forsters 2006-ongoing 
			   
			  (b) Executive agencies  
			 DVLA Continuous registration Red Consultancy 2003-ongoing 
			 MCA Sea Smart Campaign Kinross + Render 2002-07 
			   
			  Highways agency  
			 Communications Strategy Kinross and Render 2003

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Department used 26,422 m(2) of office space in 2004 and 27,345 m(2) of office space in 2006. This excludes short-term serviced office accommodation used by the Department in 2004 (and since vacated) for which data on area occupied are not available.
	The increase in office space is due to:
	(a) machinery of Government changes which led to the transfer of the Government Car and Despatch Agency to the Department for Transport in 2005,
	(b) the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority and the transfer of their property portfolio to the Department for Transport (also in 2005).

Departmental PPP and PFI

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) annual cost and  (b) final year is of each public private partnership and private finance initiative contract with his Department and its agencies.

Gillian Merron: The annual cost and termination year of PPP/PFI contracts awarded by the Department for Transport and its agencies are as follows:
	
		
			  DfT agency/project  2005-06 Unitary charge (£ million)  Final year on contract 
			  DVLA 
			 Estates Transformation 9.8 2024-25 
			  
			  Highways Agency 
			 A1 Darrington to Dishforth 14.7 2036-37 
			 A1 (M) Alconbury to Peterborough 26.8 2025-26 
			 A19 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel 24.4 2026-27 
			 A249 Stockbury to Sheerness (1)0.0 2033-34 
			 A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis 28.8 2026-27 
			 A417/A419 Swindon to Gloucester 19.1 2025-26 
			 A50 Stoke to Derby 15.2 2026-27 
			 A69 Carlisle to Newcastle 11.1 2026-27 
			 M1/A1 Lofthouseto Bramham 56.0 2026-27 
			 M40 Denham to Warwick 22.8 2026-27 
			 National Road Telecommunication Service (1)0.0 2015-16 
			 Traffic Control Centre 11.1 2011-12 
			  
			  VOSA 
			 MOT Computerisation 29.0 2015-16 
			 (1) Contract under construction and so not yet triggered any service delivery payments. 
		
	
	The annual cost of PFI projects varies depending of the service provision, its performance and any index linked payments.

Departments: Guardian Newspaper

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department paid to  The Guardian newspaper in 2005-06.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1253W.

Departments: Motor Vehicles

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 247W, which Minister used the Jaguar XJ 4.2 which was sold on 26 May 2005.

Stephen Ladyman: The Jaguar XJ 4.2 sold on 26 May 2005 was the official car provided to the late Lord Callaghan of Cardiff and was sold following his death on 26 March 2005.

Driving Offences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists were stopped by the police and found to have  (a) drugs and  (b) weapons in their cars in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.
	The Stops and Search collection under Section 1 of PACE and other legislation, held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, records the number of stop and searches and the reason for power being exercised. The outcome of the searches which lead to arrest are recorded against the reason for arrest. The outcomes are recorded against the person irrespective of whether the person, the vehicle or both were searched. The person data do not distinguish motorists from any other type of person.

Driving Offences

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of motor vehicles being used on the road without  (a) road tax and  (b) insurance.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) The most recent estimates of the number of vehicles evading Vehicle Excise Duty in Great Britain and Northern Ireland were published in the statistical report Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion 2006. A copy of this report, published on 25 January 2007, was placed in the House of Commons Library and is also available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/162259/162469/VEDEvasion SurveyReport2006
	 (b) Our latest estimate (2005) for uninsured driving is based on a comparison of the vehicle register, maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Motor Insurance Database. It is that there are about 2.1 million vehicles (about 6.5 per cent. of the UK vehicle fleet) being driven by uninsured drivers.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists have been  (a) stopped by the police and  (b) convicted for driving using a non-United Kingdom or EU/EEA driving licence more than 12 months after they arrived in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has he made of the number of motorists driving illegally in the United Kingdom because they are using their non-UK or non-EC/EEA licence more than 12 months after their arrival in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: No estimate is made of illegal drivers who continue to drive in the UK once their non-UK or non-EC/EEA licence ceases to be valid. Enforcement of driver licensing is for the police. If unlicensed foreign nationals who contravene driver licensing rules are found by the police they are prosecuted. However, Home Office statistics on offences relating to motor vehicles do not differentiate between UK and non-UK drivers.
	A survey of compliance with road safety legislation in general was carried out in 2006 and was placed in the House Libraries and is on the internet at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/roadspolicing operationv79/.

Driving: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists in the UK are using non-UK or EC/EEA licences.

Stephen Ladyman: Information is not available on the total number of motorists in the UK driving on the strength of a non-UK/EC/EEA licence.

Executive Agencies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the executive agencies of his Department have regional offices outside London.

Gillian Merron: The following Department for Transport Executive agencies have offices outside London:
	Driving Standards Agency
	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
	Highways Agency
	Maritime and Coastguard Agency
	Vehicle Certification Agency
	Vehicle and Operator Services Agency

M60: Litter

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how frequently the verges and carriageway of the M60 from Stockport—J24 Denton are cleaned of litter and detritus.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency is obliged, by the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to remove litter from motorways, including the central reservations, verges, and embankments. This arrangement has regard to the nature and use of the highway, and the need to limit disruption to traffic. To comply with the Act, which specifies, through a supplementary code of practice, standards of cleanliness and response times, the agency undertakes a regime of sweeping and litter picking on the M60 motorway.
	Litter picking on the verges and embankments is undertaken at three-monthly intervals on the M60. The offside lane and central reserve are also routinely swept and litter-picked every three months.
	The hard shoulders are swept every two months. Where the agency's daily routine inspections identify a particular problem, additional litter picking and sweeping is undertaken.
	The high winds of 18 January scattered litter across vegetation and against motorway fencing and safety barriers, making it even more visually intrusive. The agency responded by increasing the scale of its litter picking activities.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tax discs have been applied for on line in each of the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of tax discs applied for on line for each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 178,696 
			 2005-06 1,403.481 
			 2006-07(1) 4,935,407 
			 (1) To date.  
		
	
	Figures include applications for both internet and automated telephone service.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tax discs ordered on line were reported as lost in the post in each of the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: Of the 6,518,121 tax discs despatched through DVLA's electronic vehicle re-licensing (EVL), 52,326—0.8 per cent.—were reported as undelivered. Figures refer to tax discs not delivered within five working days after posting, so this figure may be over-inflated.

Motorways: Housing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) people and  (b) children living within 500 metres of a motorway, broken down by constituency.

Stephen Ladyman: Such an estimate has not been made.

Ports: Planning Permission

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which port authorities have applied for an increase in capacity in each of the last 10 years; which of those applications were successful; how many applications were successful following an appeal; what the infrastructure costs were of such projects which were implemented; and how those costs were met.

Stephen Ladyman: Since 1998 the Department has approved Harbour Works Orders for development in England and Wales at the following locations:
	
		
			   Location 
			 1998 Birkenhead 
			 1998 Bristol City Docks 
			 1999 Portsmouth 
			 1999 Poole 
			 2000 Portsmouth 
			 2000 Burry Port 
			 2000 Watchet 
			 2001 Torbay 
			 2002 Felixstowe 
			 2002 Liverpool 
			 2004 Teignmouth 
			 2004 Immingham 
			 2004 Liverpool 
			 2005 Great Yarmouth 
			 2006 Hull 
			 2006 Ipswich 
			 2006 North Killingholme 
		
	
	The Department gave approval in 2006 to development at Felixstowe and Bathside Bay with consequent Orders pending and a minded to decision in 2005 in favour of development at Shellhaven (London Gateway). Applications currently with the Department for development are from Penzance, Isles of Scilly, Immingham, Teesport, and Mersey (Seaforth).
	During the period one application, at Dibden Bay, was refused. The Department has no information about project costs as these are met by the applicants.

Railway Stations: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the lifts at Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey car park will be repaired.

Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE

Railway Stations: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions for disabled car drivers have been put in place whilst the lifts at Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey car park are not working.

Tom Harris: The disabled car parking spaces at Milton Keynes Central railway station are at ground level and so Silverlink, the Station Facility Operator, does not implement any special measures when the car park lifts are not in operation.

Railway Stations: North East Region

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to re-open railway station halts, with particular reference to stations between Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Tom Harris: The Department does not have any plans to re-open railway stations between Middlesbrough and Sunderland, however the North East Regional Planning Assessment does make reference to the possibility at growth locations subject to external funding for proposals.
	The Department will consider proposals for new stations which are supported by Local Transport Plans and include a fully worked up business case.

Railways: Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding is available to improve rail services on the Lancaster/Morecambe line.

Tom Harris: There are no plans to change the rail service on the Lancaster/Morecambe line.

Railways: Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will encourage the relevant train operators to provide more direct train services from Manchester and Preston to Morecambe.

Tom Harris: There are no plans to encourage train operators to provide more direct train services from Manchester and Preston to Morecambe.

Railways: Summer Heat

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to prevent rail-tracks from becoming inoperative due to the heat from the sun during the summer.

Tom Harris: The performance of the rail network is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail infrastructure. For a response to his question, my hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address:
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE

Railways: Theft

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of delays and disruptions on the railway caused by the theft of copper signal cabling and other equipment in the last 12 months.

Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question.
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE

Road Traffic Control

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the introduction of red route measures to key transport corridors in the cities outside London; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: It is the responsibility of individual traffic authorities to consider and implement traffic management measures that are appropriate for local conditions. The Department is involved where a local authority requests capital funding for transport infrastructure.
	West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive successfully applied for major project funding for the introduction of red routes. Before approval was awarded the scheme underwent a full economic appraisal to assess the benefits and value for money.
	The scheme was fully approved in 2004 and is currently being implemented. Once complete, monitoring and evaluation will establish its effectiveness.

School Transport: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on taxis to transport pupils to and from school by Lancashire county council in each of the last five years; and how many children were transported to and from school by taxis provided by Lancashire county council during that period.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested. Contact is advised with the following individual who will be pleased to assist: Tony Moreton, Head of Passenger Transport, Lancashire County Council, Tel: 01772 530 714.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which regulations govern average speed direction cameras; whether transport authorities are required  (a) to notify the public of their intentions to install them and  (b) to erect signs warning drivers who are approaching a stretch of road where they are in use; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The use of time over distance speed cameras within the National Safety Camera Programme is governed by the Handbook of Rules and Guidance for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and Wales for 2006-07. Traffic authorities are not obliged to notify the public of their intention to install such equipment, but safety cameras partnerships are encouraged to publicise the location of all cameras and the type of system used. The conspicuity rules in the handbook require traffic authorities to place camera warning signs at all camera sites operating within the national programme. To help the public understand that time over distance enforcement is taking place, the Department has specially authorised authorities to use an 'average speed check' camera warning sign at time over distance camera sites.
	Under the new guidance for the deployment of speed and red light cameras issued on 31 January, after 1 April 2007 local authorities, the police and other local partners will have greater freedom and flexibility in the deployment of safety cameras, and are expected to continue the existing proactive communication and conspicuity arrangements.

Thameslink Railway Line

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he made to the train service requirements from  (a) Ashwell and Morden,  (b) Baldock and  (c) Letchworth in the specification for the current Thameslink/First Capital Connect franchise compared to the service under the previous franchise.

Tom Harris: There have been no changes in the specified service requirements from Ashwell and Morden, Baldock and Letchworth as a result of the implementation of the First Capital Connect Service Level Commitment in place of the Great Northern Franchise Passenger Service Requirement.

Transport: Advisory Bodies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to facilitate the creation of regional transport boards in addition to the South East and Yorkshire and Humber boards.

Gillian Merron: It is open to every region to decide whether they wish to establish bodies to focus their involvement in regionally based transport exercises, such as the regional funding allocations process or development of the regional transport strategy. Whether to do so, and what the structure and tasks to be assigned to such bodies should be, is for individual regions to decide. I understand that several regions have chosen to establish such bodies.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1779W, on Afghanistan, if he will break down how the 70 per cent. of aid given direct to the Afghanistan Government has been spent; and what steps he is taking  (a) to audit the spending and  (b) to ensure it has been well spent.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 5 February 2007
	In 2006-07 DFID expects to provide 70 per cent. of its support to Afghanistan to the Government budget. £10 million was channelled through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor pooled fund which supports the Government's operating costs and priority development activities but earmarked for specific programmes. These included £5 million each for the National Solidarity Programme (NSP), and the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA). NSP has so far created 16,000 community development councils across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan with over £147 million spent on over 22,000 projects in the areas of agriculture, education, health, irrigation, power, public buildings, transport and water supply. MISFA has so far provided small loans to 234,000 clients. Nearly 75 per cent. of those receiving loans are women.
	A further £10 million has been committed as our first contribution to the Helmand Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (HARDP), a programme to facilitate the roll-out of the government of Afghanistan's national programmes specifically in Helmand province. To date 150 wells are being constructed, with a further 150 wells and 49km of road construction commencing this week.
	£50 million of this was channelled as unearmarked support to the ARTF. Three-quarters of all ARTF funds are spent on civil servants in key service delivery sectors. For example, 40 per cent. goes towards salaries for 100,000 teachers each month. We have in place robust safeguards to ensure DFID money is being well spent. The World Bank, as administrator of the ARTF, ensures rigorous checks against all payments made from that fund, which are only reimbursed if they are considered eligible. Annual ARTF audits are undertaken by an independent accounting firm. These reports have been favourable and show improving financial management trends. By law, the Government has to submit the national budget audit to Parliament. This was done for the first time in 2006. Also DFID has been leading the group of donors to the ARTF, in setting up a monitoring mechanism to better assess the development impact from ARTF funding.
	In the case of HARDP, we provide the funding direct to an account at the Ministry of Finance. All procurement procedures use the recently adopted government law based on World Bank procurement best practice. Given that HARDP is supporting existing programmes, the existing monitoring and audit systems are used, managed by the World Bank. In addition the Ministry of Finance are required to provide DFID with annual audited statements by the government of Afghanistan Auditor General.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's budget for Burma was spent on consultants in each of the past five years; and what the average daily rate is for consultants hired to provide advice on issues relating to Burma.

Gareth Thomas: The percentage of the budget for Burma spent on consultants in the last five years by the Department for International Development (DFID) is as follows:
	
		
			   Burma budget (£ million)  Percentage of Burma budget spent on consultants 
			 02-03 7.0 1.00 
			 03-04 3.7 3.00 
			 04-05 6.0 0.00 
			 05-06 7.6 2.00 
			 06-07 8.0 0.05 
		
	
	The average daily fee rate is £400 per day. We use consultants to provide expertise on projects such as HIV/AIDS national response, strategic development analysis , national malaria control and research into drug trafficking.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests for additional equipment for UK forces in Afghanistan were made by UK commanders  (a) in Afghanistan and  (b) in the UK in each month since January 2006; what the Government's response has been to each such request; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 30 January 2007
	The Ministry of Defence regularly receives and actions requests for a wide range of equipment. Some of these are addressed through existing resources; other emerging requirements are met through the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) process. The UOR process is an effective means of providing new capabilities for use in theatre, and we receive a large number of requests through this process. Since early 2006, when the decision to deploy into southern Afghanistan was announced 261 UORs have been approved, of which 108 have already been delivered; the others are in progress. These UORs were identified by UK commanders either in Afghanistan or in the UK.

Agency Personnel: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for 2005-06 the UK Hydrographic Office spent in Scotland in  (a) monetary terms and  (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget; how much was spent for each category in 2004-05; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: In the financial year 2005-06 the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office spent £76,000 on personnel employed in Scotland, compared with £74,000 in 2004-05. In both years this approximates to 0.2 per cent. of total UKHO personnel costs.

Departmental Contracts

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent in each of the last three years on charter flights to transport UK personnel to and from  (a) Iraq and  (b) other theatres of operation;
	(2)  how much his Department has spent on charter flights to and from the  (a) Al Udeid and  (b) Ali Al Salem air bases in each of the last three years.

Adam Ingram: Aircraft chartered to fly to and from operational theatres usually carry a mixture of passengers and freight, and it is therefore not possible to identify separately the cost of moving UK personnel.
	Personnel travel to Iraq using a combination of commercial charter and military aircraft. Conventional civilian air passenger aircraft fly to Al Udeid, the middle eastern hub, where personnel are transferred onto RAF aircraft for movement to final destination. There have been no charter flights to Ali Al Salem over the last three years.
	The costs of charter flights over the last three years are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Financial year 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Al Udeid (Iraq) 9.653 8.428 17.034 
			 Pakistan/New Orleans 0 2.817 0.055 
			 South Atlantic Charter 9.916 9.555 5.539 
			 Afghanistan 0.360 1.998 8.770 
			 Balkans 1.626 0.835 0.058 
			 Lebanon 0 0 1.571

Members: Correspondence

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Banbury of 15 November 2006 in relation to 23 Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, based in Bicester.

Derek Twigg: The Department routinely acknowledges ministerial correspondence on receipt. However, in this instance, we have no record of receiving the hon. Member's letter. If the hon. Member would like to forward a copy of his letter, I will ensure he receives a reply.

MOD Police

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish the results of the review of the Ministry of Defence Police Service.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is currently involved in a Land Command review to re-balance MDP resources throughout its estate to ensure a level of effective and efficient policing is maintained. Land Command has submitted the results of its review to the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency (MDPGA). The next step is for the MDPGA to conduct complementing reviews of the sites in question. A programme for these reviews is currently being produced.

Nuclear Weapons

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the public consultation on the replacement for the Trident system.

Des Browne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 18 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1491W.
	Since then, I have given a detailed speech at Kings College, London, we have staged a full debate in the House of Lords and I have given wide-ranging evidence to the House of Commons Defence Committee. We have also responded to many inquiries from members of the public. The costs of these activities cannot be separately identified.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Assets Recovery Agency

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland further to the answer of 24 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1823W, on the Assets Recovery Agency, what he expects the  (a) total cost and  (b) full complement of staff of the Northern Ireland section of the Serious Organised Crime Agency to be in the first full year of its work.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 1 February 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	It is not possible to provide precise estimates at this early stage. There will be no reduction in the level of effort on asset recovery in Northern Ireland. The Serious Organised Crime Agency will continue to dedicate at least the same level of resource to asset recovery in Northern Ireland as is currently committed by the Assets Recovery Agency.

Departmental Contracts

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which public affairs firms have been given contracts by  (a) his Department and  (b) public bodies sponsored by his Department in the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

Peter Hain: No public affairs firms have been given contracts by  (a) the Northern Ireland Office and  (b) public bodies sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office in the last five years.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department is taking to implement the gender equality duty due to come into force on 6 April.

Peter Hain: In Northern Ireland Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and regard to the desirability of promoting good relations. These duties ensure that equality issues, including gender, are integral to the whole range of public policy decision making. Public authorities, such as the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), are required to submit Equality Schemes to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and to carry out Impact Assessments of their policies in certain circumstances.
	The NIO is fully committed to the fulfilment of the section 75 obligations on the promotion of equality of opportunity and good relations. The NIO Equality Scheme, approved by the Northern Ireland Equality Commission in November 2001, sets out how the Department proposed to fulfil those duties with regard to all of its policies and functions. A copy of the NIO Equality Scheme may be found on the Northern Ireland Office website www.nio.gov.uk.
	In January 2007 the Department of the Office of First and Deputy First Minister published the Gender Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland for 2006 to 2016. This is available to view or download on the OFMDFM website at:
	http://www.ofmdfm.gov.uk/genderequalitystrategy2006-2016.pdf

Departments: Press Releases

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many press statements his Department has released in each of the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Month/year  Number of press statements 
			  2006  
			 February 18 
			 March 40 
			 April 25 
			 May 37 
			 June 50 
			 July 30 
			 August 11 
			 September 34 
			 October 30 
			 November 30 
			 December 32 
			  2007  
			 January 41

Parking: Coleraine

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the multi-storey car park facilities in Coleraine to be completed.

David Hanson: The Department for Social Development issued a development brief in respect of the Abbey Street and Mall car park sites in November 2005. One of the objectives of the development brief was to address the parking shortfall in Coleraine town centre. The Department is currently assessing the development proposals which have been submitted in response to the development brief. It is hoped that the Department will be in a position to appoint a preferred developer or developers for these sites by mid 2007. This would allow construction work to commence on one of them by early 2008 and be completed by mid 2009.

Planning Applications

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many planning applications were made for rural-located business projects in each year from 2001-02 to 2005-06; how many of those applications were refused; and what projected job losses in rural locations were cited in them.

David Cairns: I regret that information on the number of rural-located business projects is not held in a readily accessible form. It could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by an examination of approximately 152,000 individual applications made during the period 2001-02 to 2005-06.

Railways: Belfast

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many passengers used  (a) the Belfast to Larne railway line and  (b) the Belfast to Bangor railway line in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: Figures are not available by calendar month as information is collected on an operational period basis (either four or five-week periods). This however is broadly representative of calendar months. Patronage information on the Bangor and Larne lines for the last 12 periods is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Period  Bangor patronage  Larne patronage 
			  2005-06   
			 10 (January) 122,885 110,322 
			 11 159,744 139,821 
			 12 188,927 165,394 
			
			  2006-07   
			 1 141,396 117,470 
			 2 160,602 134,015 
			 3 187,126 160,773 
			 4 147,864 102,295 
			 5 164,612 118,490 
			 6 187,100 173,400 
			 7 162,678 164,166 
			 8 159,892 152,029 
			 9 (December) 180,016 167,305 
			 Total 1,962,842 1,705,480 
			  Note: Periods 3, 6, 9 and 12 are five-week periods. All others are four week periods.

Secondary Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many post-primary educational facilities there are in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: There are 228 grant-aided mainstream schools, 38 special schools, 14 independent (non grant-aided) schools, and three hospital schools providing education for children of post primary age.
	Post primary education may also be delivered in a number of other settings: Further Education Colleges, Alternative Education Providers, Pupil Referral Units, Juvenile Justice Centres and outreach facilities, at home for those being home educated or getting home tutoring, and via work experience providers.

Translink

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1503-5W, on Translink, if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of the settlement for the former chief executive of Translink.

David Cairns: The Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company's Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2007 will be laid before Parliament in accordance with the prescribed parliamentary procedure.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animals: Clones

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls govern the importation of embryos from cloned animals.

Ben Bradshaw: Animal health controls on the importation of animals and their genetic material are laid down in European Community law. There are no specific controls relating to cloned animals or their genetic material (for example, embryos), thus there are no requirements to identify any such imported cloned animals or any germplasm deriving from such animals.

Avian Influenza

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what preventative measures his Department is undertaking to restrict the possibility of an outbreak of the H5N1 virus.

Ben Bradshaw: Targeted surveillance for high pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza and other avian influenza viruses in wild birds is in place throughout the UK and is ongoing. My Department has issued extensive guidance to bird keepers on biosecurity measures to protect their birds from avian influenza, which is available on the DEFRA website.
	On 3 February, DEFRA confirmed highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm near Lowestoft in Suffolk. My Department has put in place a 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone requiring certain biosecurity measures, the housing of birds, and movement restrictions. We have also put in place a further restricted zone of 2,090 sq km covering North East Suffolk and South East Norfolk. It requires the isolation of poultry from wild birds and permits movements only under licence. In addition, the general licence on bird gatherings has been revoked banning shows and racing.
	The Government's Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases is available on the DEFRA website. I also refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State's statement to the House on 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 573.

Avian Influenza: Birds of Prey

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his oral statement of 5 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 573-75, on the avian influenza outbreak, if he will issue guidance to the regional offices of his Department to ensure that public falconry displays are permitted to continue during February.

Ben Bradshaw: As from 3 February, all bird gatherings (including falconry displays, fairs, markets, shows, exhibitions and pigeon races) are banned in England, Scotland and Wales due to the avian influenza situation. All such gatherings planned over the next few weeks must be cancelled.
	The ban extends nationwide because of the high risk nature of bird gatherings and the current uncertainty of the epidemiology of this disease. We will keep this ban under review as the disease situation develops.
	However, falconry displays and other similar events outside the restricted areas can continue if they only involve a single bird or birds which are normally kept together so do not pose an increased risk of disease spread.
	DEFRA's local animal health offices are being kept informed of the situation through the usual channels.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) of 26 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 211-13W, on bovine TB, what changes to the tabular systems are under consideration; and how proposals will be consulted on.

Ben Bradshaw: In considering possible changes to the current compensation arrangements, discussions within the Cattle Compensation Advisory Group have focused on the industry representatives' suggestions for enhancing compensation rates (in the identified sectors) for 'higher quality stock'.
	A decision on how we consult interested parties about possible system changes will be made once the different suggestions have been fully evaluated. As noted previously, any changes would need to be justified and fair to farmers and the taxpayer. They would also need to take account of the extensive evidence on the level of over-valuation experienced under the previous system based on individual valuations.

Cellular Phones: Recycling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage the recycling of mobile phones.

Ben Bradshaw: Mobile phones are a good example of widely used products where much has already been done—by producers and consumers—to reduce waste. However, more can and should be done to reduce the impacts of waste disposal at each stage of the product cycle.
	DEFRA is working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the implementation of the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, which, from July this year, will make producers financially responsible for the treatment and recycling of electronic equipment, including mobile phones, when it becomes waste. In particular, DEFRA have made the regulations transposing the treatment and permitting requirements of the directive, which are intended to improve the environmental performance of operators directly involved in the treatment of WEEE.
	DEFRA also worked with the DTI on the implementation of the EU RoHS (restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) directive. Since 1 July 2006, the RoHS regulations have restricted the use of six substances in the manufacture of mobile phones and other electrical and electronic equipment, meaning that they will be easier to treat and recycle when they become waste.

Countryside and Rights of Way Act

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether funding will be provided to access authorities for ongoing costs in relation to part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 in 2008-09;
	(2)  what funding his Department has provided for  (a) the implementation and  (b) ongoing work in relation to part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to each access authority in each year since 2004.

Barry Gardiner: pursuant to the reply, 1 February 2007, Official Report, c. 444W
	My answer was incomplete, and did not contain the final two paragraphs explaining the figures in the table. The complete answer is as follows.
	National Park authorities are access authorities in National Parks. In relation to any other land, the access authority is the local highway authority in whose area the land is situated.
	The Department's funding to National Parks for the preparation and implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 Act (parts I and V) is as follows:
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Broads — 25,000 25,000 
			 Dartmoor 100,000 350,000 350,000 
			 Exmoor 100,000 350,000 350,000 
			 Lake District 400,000 450,000 450,000 
			 New Forest — — 150,000 
			 Northumberland 150,000 350,000 350,000 
			 North York Moors 300,000 450,000 450,000 
			 Peak District 500,000 450,000 450,000 
			 Yorkshire Dales 300,000 450,000 450,000 
			 Total 1,850,000 2,875,000 3,025,000 
		
	
	These figures include funding for access management (National Parks were unable to participate in the Access Management Grant Scheme) and other responsibilities including that of relevant authority for exclusions and restrictions of access and appointing authority for local access forums (under part V of the Act). From 2006-07 the ongoing funding for the management of open access for National Parks will be embedded within the core grant settlement.
	The Department does not provide funding to local highway authorities in respect of their responsibilities as access authorities under part I of the Act. However, funding was made available to these access authorities by the Countryside Agency (now Natural England) through the Access Management Grant Scheme and is also provided from the Government in respect of their role as appointing authority for local access forums under part V of the Act.

Environment Protection: Walking

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will launch a public awareness campaign to encourage people to walk rather than using their cars for environmental reasons.

Tom Harris: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department is about to launch a new environmental communication campaign. The focus of this national campaign will be on fuel efficiency and smarter driving, encouraging people to think about how their choice and use of car contributes to carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. We shall take stock of the impact of that activity before considering an expansion of the campaign to encourage modal change messages.
	That campaign is additional to a sustainable travel campaign that we promote focused solely on the journey to and from school, which encourages parents and pupils to consider alternatives to the car.
	We have also encouraged local authorities, who are responsible for providing pedestrian facilities to promote walking. The Department published guidance 'Encouraging walking: advice to local authorities' in March 2000 to assist local authorities in delivering more walking. We also expect to publish 'Manual for Streets' in the spring, which will prioritise the needs of pedestrians above other modes when designing transport facilities.

Fly-tipping

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) reported incidents of fly-tipping and  (b) convictions relating to incidents of fly-tipping there have been in the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Flycapture, the national database of fly-tipping incidents, was set up in 2004 by DEFRA, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association, to record fly-tipping incidents dealt with by the Environment Agency and local authorities. Data on fly-tipping levels are, therefore, only available from April 2004 onwards.
	Flycapture data show that, in England, 926,534 incidents were reported in the period from April 2004 to March 2005. There were 1,034,518 incidents reported from April 2005 to March 2006.
	The number of defendants found guilty of offences under sections 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is shown in the following table. Data from 2006 will not be available until November 2007.
	
		
			   Number of defendants found guilty of offences under sections 33 and 34 of Environmental Protection Act 
			 2001 738 
			 2002 916 
			 2003 859 
			 2004 1,133 
			 2005 1,541 
			  Source: Criminal Justice Systems Analysis, RDS—OCJR. IOS: 002-07

MSC Napoli

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support his Department is giving to local authorities and other organisations dealing with the environmental damage caused by the beaching of the MSC Napoli.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 29 January 2007
	DEFRA is not providing financial support to local authorities as a result of this incident. Local authorities, and others, who have incurred costs as a result of pollution from a ship-source pollution incident may recover their costs by lodging a claim in court in accordance with the domestic law which applies the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Convention, 1966 (LLMC).
	My Department and its agencies are providing scientific support in implementing an environmental monitoring plan and are also part of the Environment Group which meets daily to consider the risks posed by the vessel.
	DEFRA is also working closely with the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency to advise the Maritime and Coastguard Agency who are responsible for leading the response to the incident.
	My Department has approved the use of oil dispersants in waters immediately adjacent to the vessel. This has enabled dispersion at sea of oil that has escaped from the vessel, limiting damage to birds and pollution on the shoreline. We are also co-operating with the agencies responsible for the collection and removal of litter.

Rare Species

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the  (a) Pea mining bee (Andrena Lathyri),  (b) Dark guest ant (Anergates atratulus),  (c) Short-haired bumble-bee (Bombus subterraneus),  (d) New Forest cicada (Cicadetta montana),  (e) Ivell's sea anemone (Edwardsia ivelli),  (f) Black-backed meadow ant (Formica pratensis),  (g) Nomad errans—a cuckoo bee,  (h) Stenus palposus—a rove beetle and  (j) Essex emerald (Thetidia smaragdaria maritima) are (i) extinct and (ii) extant in the UK.

Barry Gardiner: So far as my Department is aware, there are no known colonies of any of these insect species listed in the UK, although all have occurred here in the past. Since the IUCN definition of extinction is currently an absolute concept, it can be difficult to know whether species of small invertebrates still occur or not. The current known situation of these species is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Name  Current status 
			  (a) Pea Mining Bee No information 
			  (b) Dark Guest Ant Insufficiently Known 
			  (c) Short-haired Bumble Bee Nationally Scarce 
			  (d) New Forest Cicada Endangered 
			  (e) Ivell's Sea Anemone Possibly Extinct 
			  (f) Black-Backed Meadow Ant Endangered (GB Red List) 
			  (g) Cuckoo Bee No information 
			  (h) Rove Beetle Nationally and Globally Threatened (Endangered) 
			  (j) Essex Emerald Moth Extinct

HOME DEPARTMENT

Adolescent Mental Health

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on the treatment of adolescent mental health are applied in young offender institutions.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The NICE guideline "Depression in Children and Young People: Identification and management in primary, community and secondary care" was issued in September 2005. Primary care trusts are expected to apply this guideline in young offender institutions under their programme of clinical governance as they would to children and young people in the wider community.

British Food

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of food served in  (a) buildings occupied by his Department and  (b) UK prisons was of British origin in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information required is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Child Curfew Orders

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many child curfew orders were issued in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available information, relating to curfew orders given to persons aged 10 to 17 in Suffolk courts, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Persons aged 10 to17 sentenced to curfew orders at Suffolk courts( 1) 
			   Number 
			 1997 (2)— 
			 1998 2 
			 1999 10 
			 2000 17 
			 2001 20 
			 2002 25 
			 2003 33 
			 2004 40 
			 2005 61 
			 (1) Magistrates courts in Suffolk and the Crown court if committed by magistrates in Suffolk. (2) Curfew orders were introduced on an area by area basis from 1995.  Note: Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Home Office

Crime: Somerset

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the conviction rate was for  (a) violent crimes and  (b) all crimes recorded in (i) Avon and Somerset and (ii) England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer for 1 February 2007
	Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts and convictions as a proportion of prosecutions for violent offences in Avon and Somerset and England and Wales, 1996-2005, are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for violent offences and all offences, with convictions as a proportion of prosecutions, Avon and Somerset police force area and England and Wales, 1996-2005( 1,2) 
			   England and Wales  Avon and Somerset 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Convictions as a proportion of prosecutions (Percentage)  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Convictions as a proportion of prosecutions (Percentage) 
			  All violent offences( 3)   
			 1996 81,632 40,345 49 1,781 705 40 
			 1997 88,370 44,674 51 1,908 901 47 
			 1998 93,456 47,159 50 2,049 900 44 
			 1999 93,453 45,630 49 2,155 1,030 48 
			 2000 94,907 45,104 48 2,150 1,040 48 
			 2001 100,001 46,163 46 2,225 952 43 
			 2002 103,192 49,803 48 2,318 1,089 47 
			 2003 102,465 49,694 48 2,464 1,208 49 
			 2004 93,735 51,415 55 1,883 1,126 60 
			 2005 90,409 52,820 58 1,868 1,151 62 
			
			  All offences   
			 1996 1,919,494 1,438,027 75 57,893 41,666 72 
			 1997 1,855,333 1,385,822 75 57,059 41,799 73 
			 1998 1,951,915 1,469,734 75 57,737 41,031 71 
			 1999 1,881,765 1,408,461 75 51,925 36,919 71 
			 2000 1,904,677 1,423,702 75 51,514 37,756 73 
			 2001 1,837,733 1,349,673 73 50,422 36,139 72 
			 2002 1,924,828 1,421,285 74 55,037 38,817 71 
			 2003 2,000,822 1,491,210 75 62,282 43,835 70 
			 2004 2,022,604 1,548,500 77 60,156 43,982 73 
			 2005 1,895,002 1,484,424 78 55,790 41,396 74 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.  Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under the provisions of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 have taken place since the Act's implementation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 February 2007
	There have been no prosecutions under the 2003 Act. However, educating communities to abandon the practice is the best way forward to break the cycle of mutilation and the Act is being widely used for that purpose.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have been issued with a fixed penalty notice and fine in Solihull in the past 12 months; what the average amount of the fines was; and how many of these fines were for being drunk and disorderly;
	(2)  how many people under the age of 18 years have been issued with a fixed penalty notice and a fine in Solihull in the last 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: Data on the number of penalty notices for disorder and fixed penalty notices for motoring offences issued in Solihull are not available at either local authority or constituency level.
	In 2005, the latest period for which statistics have been published, 4,306 persons were fined in Solihull, an average of £129 per person. 16 people were fined for being drunk and disorderly, an average of £78 per person. 85 persons under the age of 18 were fined in Solihull in 2005, an average of £54 per person.
	Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.

Hit and Run

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were prosecuted for failing to stop after an accident under the Road Traffic Act 1988 in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and given in the table shows the number of defendants prosecuted for the offence of 'failing to stop after an accident' under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.170 (4) from 1997 to 2005 (latest available).
	
		
			  Proceedings( 1)  at magistrates courts for accident offences( 2) , within Suffolk police force area, 1997-2005 
			   Number 
			 1997 120 
			 1998 99 
			 1999 82 
			 2000 67 
			 2001 107 
			 2002 95 
			 2003 116 
			 2004 127 
			 2005 105 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4).  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children found as a result of Operation Pentameter were pregnant; and what assistance was offered to such children.

Vernon Coaker: I understand that among the minors recovered as a result of Operation Pentameter, two were found to be pregnant. They are now in the care of local authority social services who are responsible for ensuring they receive adequate and appropriate care to meet their needs.

Human Trafficking

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been accepted on to the Poppy Project since its introduction.

Vernon Coaker: Since the Poppy Project opened in March 2003 until January 2007 127 women have been provided with full accommodation and support and 33 have benefited from outreach support.

Human Trafficking

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women accepted into the Poppy Project have  (a) accepted voluntary return to their country of origin and  (b) refused to accept voluntary return and consequently been deported.

Vernon Coaker: The Poppy Project does not collate this information. Women who are accepted onto the project are not subject to any removal action during an initial four week period whilst they make decisions about their future and longer-term support is offered in return for co-operation with the authorities. Some victims, who are legally entitled to do so, choose to remain in the United Kingdom. However where appropriate, victims are provided with information and assistance to help them voluntarily return to their country of origin and removal action is only ever taken as a last resort.

Human Trafficking: Children

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the report from the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre national scoping study on child trafficking was received by his Department; and when will it be available to Parliament.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The Home Department has received a first draft of CEOP's scoping study report on child trafficking. We anticipate the report will be published and therefore made available to Parliament by April 2007.

Human Trafficking: Children

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the responsibilities are of  (a) the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre and  (b) the Human trafficking Centre on child trafficking issues; and in what ways the organisations inter-relate.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The main responsibility of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) is to combat child exploitation both in the online and offline environment. It does this by working with the Department for Education and Skills, police forces, offender managers, children's services and other stakeholders.. Its priority is to work with its partners in making the internet as safe as possible for children and young people to use and alert the police of those posing a risk to children.
	The responsibility of the UK Human Trafficking Centre is to establish a more joined up response across law enforcement agencies to tackling human trafficking. It will develop police expertise and co-ordinate targeted operations. The Centre will also promote the replication and expansion of support services to victims of trafficking. It is also playing an active part in devising training for investigating police officers in trafficking cases.
	Both organisations are working together within the framework of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to develop operational and strategic working relationships to ensure that wherever possible trafficked children are identified and appropriately protected.

Legal Systems: Islam

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent to which Sharia courts have been used in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. and noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Baroness Ashton of Upholland, to the Lord Marlesford on 18 December 2006,  Official Report, column WA 234.

Court Diversion Schemes

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Court Diversion schemes are in operation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are a variety of different disposals that provide opportunities for low risk, low-level and often first time offenders to get help and make reparation outside the court process.
	In determining the most appropriate course of action for these offenders, the criminal justice agencies have available the following pre-court disposals: the caution (or final warnings and reprimands for youths), the formal warning for cannabis possession, the penalty notice for disorder, the fixed penalty notice and the conditional caution, as well as the restorative justice process, the acceptable behaviour contract and the anti-social behaviour order.
	Information is not held centrally on the total number of local Court Diversion schemes.

Mentally Ill: Custodial Treatment

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people with mental health problems are  (a) in prison and  (b) held on remand; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The survey, psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 1998) showed that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence.
	The survey also reported that some 10 per cent. of men on remand, 7 per cent. of sentenced men and 14 per cent. of all women had suffered a functional psychosis in the past year. Around 59 per cent. of men on remand, 40 per cent. of sentenced men, 76 per cent. of women on remand and 63 per cent. of sentenced women had suffered from a neurotic disorder in the previous week. Rates of personality disorder were 78 per cent. among remanded men, 64 per cent. among sentenced men and 50 per cent. among all women.
	 Source:
	Singleton, N., Meltzer, R., Gatward, R. with Coid. J., Deasy, D (1998) Psychiatric morbidity among Prisoners in England and Wales. Office for National Statistics.

Prisoners

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many male prisoners are classified as category  (a) A,  (b) B,  (c) C and  (d) D in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the number of prisoners by category held in prison establishments in England and Wales at the end of November 2006, as provided by the prison IT system, is shown in the following table.
	The figures provided have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and the totals have been rounded.
	
		
			  Population( 1)  of category A, B, C and D prisoners at prison establishments in England and Wales as at 30 November 2006 
			   Number 
			 Category A 700 
			 Category B 9,200 
			 Category C 36,700 
			 Category D 5,200 
			 (1 )Totals will not add to total published prison numbers because (i) many prisoners recently sentenced are under assessment for security classification; and (ii) the security categories do not normally apply to remand prisoners, women or young offenders.

Prisoners

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners there are in each prison in the south west region; and what the operational capacity is of each prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Figures taken from the prison IT system giving prison population and operational capacity of all prisons in the South West region of England can be found in the table.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.
	
		
			  Prisoner population and operational capacity of prisons in South West as at December 2006 
			   Operational capacity  Population 
			 Bristol 606 606 
			 Channings Wood 667 657 
			 Dartmoor 625 611 
			 Dorchester 260 244 
			 Eastwood Park 362 347 
			 Erlestoke 426 425 
			 Exeter 533 486 
			 Gloucester 323 288 
			 Guys Marsh 578 571 
			 Leyhill 512 387 
			 Portland 557 512 
			 Shepton Mallet 189 189 
			 The Verne 587 582 
		
	
	These figures are taken from the prison service website at:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/documents/100025D5pop_bull_dec_06.doc

Prisons

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the Prison Service in each of the last 10 financial years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Home Office revenue net cash outflow( 1)  for prisons 
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 (2)2,426 
			 2005-06 2,250 
			 2004-05 2,069 
			 2003-04 2,011 
			 2002-03 1,910 
			 2001-02 1,758 
			 2000-01 1,715 
			 1999-2000 1,738 
			 1998-99 1,651 
			 1997-98 1,524 
			 1996-97 1,401 
			 (1)Revenue net cash outflow covers spending on pay and ongoing non pay items (e.g. prisoners' meals) and excludes one off capital expenditure and non-cash accounting charges such as cost of capital. (2) Estimate. 
		
	
	The figures include: (a) HM Prison Service (HMPS) net cash outflow as published in its annual accounts; (b) from 2003-04 onwards, spending on contracted prisons, which from 2003-04 are no longer included in HMPS accounts; and (c) for 2005-06 and 2006-07 a detailed estimate of spending on services which transferred from the Prison Service to NOMS centre.
	Budgets and expenditure for education and health in prisons transferred to the Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health with effect from 2001-02 and 2003-4 respectively. Budgets and expenditure for juveniles transferred to the Youth Justice Board (a non-departmental public body) from 2000-01. The figures provided above exclude these items with effect from the appropriate years.

Prisons

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were held  (a) in each prison and  (b) in police cells in Essex in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In response to  (a), information on the number of prisoners held in prison establishments in Essex since 1997 can be found in the following table.
	In response to  (b), police cells were used in Essex in 2002 (between July and December), in 2006 (between October to December) and 2007 (from 22 January). However, the precise numbers are not available centrally.
	The figures given in this answer relating to the number of prisoners held in prison establishments have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.
	
		
			  Prisoner population in Essex, 1997 to 2006 
			  As at 30 June each year  Bulwood Hall  Chelmsford  Colchester( 1) 
			 1997 125 469 37 
			 1998 134 455 — 
			 1999 137 432 — 
			 2000 160 360 — 
			 2001 162 463 — 
			 2002 181 564 — 
			 2003 163 597 — 
			 2004 166 560 — 
			 2005 146 574 — 
			 2006(2) 16 580 — 
			 (1) Colchester open young offender establishment opened on  20 February 1997 and closed end of March 1998. (2) During June 2006 a male closed training unit opened at Bulwood Hall and the female closed training prison unit, the female closed young offender institution unit and the female juvenile institution unit at Bulwood Hall stopped taking inmates. By August, the total establishment had risen to 174.

Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are held at Ford Prison; what category of offence has been committed by each of the inmates at the prison; and what the term of the prison sentence was in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: At the end of November 2006 there were 454 prisoners detained in Ford Prison. The data on the numbers of prisoners detained for each offence group are not available because the numbers are small and their accuracy at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed. Of these 454 prisoners 83 were sentenced to a period of detention of less than 12 months; 167 were sentenced to 12 months to four years; and 204 were sentenced to over four years.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Prisons: Nutrition

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department  (a) has commissioned and  (b) is supporting on the effect of improved nutrition on behaviour in prisons.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Office has not commissioned research into the relationship between nutrition and behaviour in prisons. Support has been given to the charity Natural Justice by previously facilitating research in this area at Aylesbury young offender institution and in offering additional establishments for further research.

Privacy Impact Assessment

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a privacy impact assessment  (a) has been produced and  (b) is planned for (i) the identity cards scheme and (ii) the Automated Number Plate Recognition project.

Joan Ryan: No privacy impact assessment has been produced, or is planned, for the National Identity Scheme. However, the questions of privacy and confidentiality of data have been repeatedly considered, including in the course of extensive debate in Parliament during the passage of the Identity Cards Act 2006. We have published a Regulatory Impact Assessment and a Race Equality Impact Assessment, and both the legislation itself and the operation of the scheme must comply with the Human Rights Act 1998 and Data Protection Act 1998. The Identity Cards Act makes unauthorised disclosure of information from the National Identity Register a criminal offence. The National Identity Scheme Commissioner will oversee the operation of the scheme, including keeping under review arrangements for securing the confidentiality and integrity of information recorded in the register.
	No privacy impact assessment has been produced, or is planned, relating to the police use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). Police forces in England and Wales currently share ANPR data for the prevention and detection of crime and for intelligence analysis purposes. This exchange of data is covered by existing legislation.

Race Relations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which groups and organisations the Prison Service considers to be racist.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Staff in the Prison Service are not permitted to be a member of the British National Party, the National Front, Combat 18 or any other group or organisation promoting racism.

Rape Convictions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the proportion of successful rape convictions in Chorley.

Vernon Coaker: In order to improve performance on the investigation and prosecution of rape, we have made a range of changes including introducing specially trained officers and specialist rape prosecutors to build better cases; overhauling out-dated laws on sexual offences and the use of evidence; and creating special measures to make it easier for victims of rape to give evidence. Last year we consulted on additional measures aimed at improving rape prosecutions, and hope to publish the conclusions of the consultation shortly. We have recently visited all police forces, including Lancashire, to discuss their strategies for investigating rape and will continue to work with them to ensure improvements continue to be made.
	The Government are also committed to reducing victim withdrawals by supporting victims through the criminal justice process. As part of a national project, we have funded two Independent Sexual Violence Advisors within Lancashire to provide advocacy and support to victims of sexual violence in the region.
	Victims in Chorley can also access the SAFE Centre, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre where victims of sexual assault receive medical care and counselling, and have the opportunity to assist the police investigation through undergoing a forensic examination.

Rape Victims

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to  (a) improve the response by the police and Crown Prosecution Service to alleged rape victims and  (b) improve the conviction rates in such cases.

Vernon Coaker: In order to improve performance on the investigation and prosecution of rape we have introduced specially trained officers and specialist rape prosecutors to build better cases; overhauled out-dated laws on sexual offences and evidence; and introduced special measures to make it easier for victims to give evidence. Last year we consulted on additional measures aimed at improving rape prosecutions, and hope to publish the conclusions of the consultation shortly. Over the last three years the Government have invested around £7 million in Sexual Assault Referral Centres, sexual violence counselling services and advocacy services, to ensure that victims are better supported within and outside of the criminal justice process.
	We have recently visited all police forces to discuss their strategies for investigating rape and will be working closely with them, and the CPS, over the coming year to ensure that improvements continue to be made.

Sentencing Statistics

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants in England and Wales received immediate custodial sentences for offences of  (a) obtaining property by deception,  (b) perverting or attempting to pervert the course of justice and  (c) theft in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to immediate custody for certain offences, England and Wales, 2001 to 2005 
			   Obtaining property by deception  Perverting the course of justice( 1)  Theft and handling stolen goods 
			 2001 1,753 1,128 26,205 
			 2002 1,691 960 27,945 
			 2003 1,496 855 25,517 
			 2004 1,414 890 22,759 
			 2005 1,263 867 20,472 
			  Notes: (1 )Common law offences and offences of intimidating or harming jurors or witnesses. Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.( )Common law offences and offences of intimidating or harming jurors or witnesses.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Home Office

Single Non-emergency Number

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to implement Wave 2 of the single non-emergency number;
	(2)  if he will publish the conclusions of the review of the implementation of the pilot stages of the single non-emergency number for the police.

Tony McNulty: Evaluation and assessment of the introduction of the single non-emergency number, 101, in the five Wave 1 police and local authority partnership areas are currently ongoing. Plans for future programme development beyond Wave 1 partnership areas will be deferred pending the outcome of this evaluation and assessment, including optimum costs and benefits, to be completed in autumn 2007. We will review how we make the results of this work available when appropriate.

Victims Fund

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many voluntary service organisations  (a) bid for funding and  (b) were awarded funding from the Victims Fund in each year for the last five years; and how much was awarded.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 2 February 2006
	The Government have invested £5.25 million into the sexual violence and abuse sector through the Victims Fund over the last three years, with over £3 million going directly to voluntary and community sector organisations.
	The following table provides a breakdown of the number of applicants; number of voluntary and community sector organisations funded; and total grand awards for each year.
	
		
			   Applicants  VCS organisations funded  Total funding (£) 
			 2004-05 93 46 650,000 
			 2005-06 217 60 1.9 million 
			 2006-07 181 45 1.2 million

Victims Commissioner

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the remit is of the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 2 February 2007
	A recruitment campaign was run in 2006 but did not identify a suitable candidate. The Government have reflected on the first recruitment campaign and is currently considering how best to take forward the appointment of a Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses.

Violent Crime Statistics

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of people given a custodial sentence for a non-violent crime were subsequently convicted of a violent crime within two years of release since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer for 26 January 2007
	The information requested is not readily available. The most recent re-offending information for adults in England and Wales were published in November 2006 as: 'Re-offending of Adults: results from the 2003 cohort'. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/06. The report is available online at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf
	The report shows two-year re-offending rates broken down by offence type (Table A4) and by sentence type (Table A5).

Young Offender Institutions

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign former prisoners who had completed their sentences were held in young offender institutions on 30 September 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Comprehensive data in the form necessary to answer the question of how many time-served young offenders are held in Young Offender Institutions is not available without disproportionate cost.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Rape Cases

Ann Cryer: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps he is taking to increase the number of convictions in rape cases.

Mike O'Brien: The number of convictions for rape of a female in 2005-06 was 820, up from 758 in 2004-05. The Government are strengthening the legal framework and improving the care provided to victims. We will not alter the burden of proof but we will ensure that victims get help to cope with the stresses of giving evidence and also to enable them to give the best evidence possible.

Rape Cases

Russell Brown: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps he plans to take to improve the management of rape cases.

Mike O'Brien: A number of key steps will be introduced to improve the management of rape cases. A robust case management framework, which identifies the essential steps by using established good practice, will ensure the policy and operational standards for rape cases are met. All rape cases will be subject to regular management reviews to ensure they follow this framework. Finally, checks will be undertaken during the life of a case and when it has been finalised to ensure lessons are learnt and applied.

Serious Fraud Office

John Robertson: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Serious Fraud Office is taking to develop a national strategy to reduce levels of fraud; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) participated in and contributed to the Fraud Review which recommended that there should be a national fraud strategy.
	The SFO is also working on the Serious Crime Bill which will give it powers of civil recovery of assets and other methods of disrupting fraud where a prosecution is not undertaken.
	Finally the SFO participates in international initiatives to combat fraud and corruption, such as the International Association of Anti Corruption Authorities (IACCA) and the International Corruption Group.

Lenient Sentences

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of the effect on the prison population of decisions of the Law Officers to refer unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal.

Mike O'Brien: The unduly lenient sentence scheme can have an impact on the prison population to the extent that references by the Law Officers result in some sentences being increased by the Court of Appeal. However, the Law Officers' power to refer cases is limited to sentences passed for certain criminal offences and only where they are considered to be unduly lenient. This means that the number of cases referred each year is relatively modest. In deciding whether to refer a case to the Court, the Law Officers will consider all the facts and circumstances of the case and the relevant sentencing law and guidelines.
	The following table, which covers the last five years for which full statistics are available, shows the numbers of offenders brought to the Court of Appeal by the Law Officers and the outcomes.
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Offenders brought to the Court 145 139 96 137 108 
			 Leave to refer granted 137 137 91 131 99 
			 Sentence found to be unduly lenient 124 120 88 108 82 
			 Sentence increased 91 94 78 87 67

Criminal Proceedings

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Solicitor-General how many criminal prosecutions were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service because pursuing the cases was deemed not to be in the public interest in 2006.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service dropped proceedings in respect of 25,963 defendants on public interest grounds in 2006. This is equivalent to 2.4 per cent. of cases completed during that year.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Email

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether the Cabinet Office IT Department holds web traffic data of visits from 10 Downing Street computers to webmail email accounts; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many different email systems operate in the offices of 10 Downing Street;
	(3)  whether  (a) all and  (b) some webmail accounts are blocked in the offices of 10 Downing Street;
	(4)  what guidance has been produced for Cabinet Office  (a) staff and  (b) special advisers on the use of non-government email accounts for official purposes.

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister whether the computers used at 10 Downing Street are networked on a unitary system.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Members to the evidence given by the Secretary to the Cabinet (Sir Gus O'Donnell) to the Public Administration Select Committee on 6 February 2007.
	I also refer the hon. Members to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 31 January 2007. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website (http://pm.gov.uk/output/Page10881.asp) and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

British Gurkha Welfare Society: Petitions

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Prime Minister if he will  (a) meet the British Gurkha Welfare Society and  (b) place in the Library his response to the Society's petition accepted at 10 Downing street on 14 December 2006.

Tony Blair: I have no current plans to do so. The Minister for veterans, my hon. Friend the Member for Halton, (Derek Twigg) has responded to the petition of 14 December 2006, and a copy of his reply has been placed in the Library of the House.

Donated Asset Reserve

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister whether any of the items held by his Office as part of the donated asset reserve have depreciated in value since they were received; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 151W.

Honours

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister whether his official spokesman was informed of his interview with the Metropolitan Police on 26 January prior to his official briefing of lobby correspondents in  (a) the morning briefing and  (b) the afternoon briefing on 31 January.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 1 February 2007. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website (http://pm.gov.uk/output/Page10895.asp) and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Iraq: Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to attend the funerals of future UK casualties of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 1 February 2006. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website http: //www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page8990.asp and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Labour Party

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what guidance his Office gives on which issues are the responsibility of  (a) his official spokesman and  (b) the Labour Party press office.

Tony Blair: The Cabinet Office guidance for civil servants is clear. Guidance for Government communicators is published on www.comms.gov.uk

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Public Appointments

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of the letters of appointment of each of his special advisers.

Tony Blair: My special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Individual letters of appointment are confidential between the employer and employee.

Petitions: Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister what measures he plans to use to assess the performance of e-petitioning on the Downing street website.

Tony Blair: My officials and I monitor the performance of the No. 10 website, including e-petitions, through a range of measures including the number of people who visit the site, user experience, and user satisfaction.

SCOTLAND

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what occasions  (a) he and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: No central record is held of requests to Scotland Office Ministers to appear before committees of the devolved institutions. However, my hon. Friend, the Member for Stirling (Mrs. McGuire) the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, attended a meeting of the Scottish Parliament Procedures Committee on 1 March 2005 to discuss the committee's inquiry into the operation in the Scottish Parliament of the Sewel Convention.
	No Scotland Office Ministers have been invited to appear before committees of the European Parliament.

Departmental Contracts

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which public affairs firms have been given contracts by his Department in the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has awarded no contracts to public affairs firms.

Departmental Expenditure

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on buying, operating and supporting  (a) all commercial software products and  (b) software products produced by Microsoft in each of the last three years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office operates an information technology system through the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the procurement, administration, support and maintenance of the system. Accordingly, the Executive is responsible for sourcing and introducing such software.

Highland 2007

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to encourage the celebration of Highland 2007, Scotland's year of Highland culture, in other parts of the UK.

David Cairns: holding answer 2 February 2007
	This is a devolved matter which is being taken forward by the Scottish Executive and the board of Highland 2007. While I understand the Scottish Executive have no plans to hold events related to Highland 2007 in other parts of the UK, the Highland 2007 programme will be promoted throughout Britain by VisitScotland to encourage people to come and enjoy the celebration of Highland culture for themselves.
	The Scotland Office is working with the Board of Highland 2007 to deliver a Highland celebration in London during the year.

Housing: Pollution Control

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the introduction of zero carbon homes in Scotland.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend and I have frequent discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on a range of issues. The introduction of zero carbon homes in Scotland, taken as part of Building Standards, is a devolved matter.

Pollution Control

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Scottish Executives Ministers to discuss progress in reducing carbon output from Scottish Executive departments.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend and I have frequent discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on a range of issues. The carbon output from Scottish Executive departments is a devolved area of responsibility.

Recruitment Agencies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 April 1999. Since that date, the Office has paid the following amounts to recruitment agencies for temporary staff:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1999-2000(1) 2,135 
			 2000-01 68,404 
			 2001-02 55,534 
			 2002-03 60,601 
			 2003-04 54,017 
			 2004-05 7,098 
			 2005-06 ? 
			 (1) Part year

Renewable Energy

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet Scottish Executive Ministers to discuss renewable energy programmes in Scotland.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with Scottish Executive Ministers on a range of issues. My hon. Friend will be aware that the promotion of renewable energy in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Scotland Office: Travel

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many journeys  (a) Scotland Office Ministers and  (b) Scotland Office civil servants have made between London and Scotland on official business in each month since January 2005; and how many of these journeys were made by (i) aeroplane, (ii) train and (iii) car.

David Cairns: The information requested is set out in the table. In relation to travel by Ministers the information relates to travel paid by the Scotland Office. It excludes regular travel between London and Scotland paid by the House of Commons. We do not hold information on such travel.
	
		
			   Number of journeys( 1) 
			   Aeroplane  Train  Car 
			  Month  Ministers  Civil servants  Ministers  Civil servants  Ministers  Civil servants 
			  2005   
			 January 1 23 0 4 0 0 
			 February 0 27.5 0 7.5 0 0 
			 March 2.5 26.5 0 4.5 0 0 
			 April 0 16.5 0 5 0 0 
			 May 1.5 28 0 7 0 0 
			 June 2 30 0 6 0 0 
			 July 1.5 20 0 5 0 0 
			 August 0 15 0.5 3 0 0 
			 September 0.5 21 0.5 2 0 0 
			 October 1 34.5 0 4.5 0 0 
			 November 0 29 0 8 0 0 
			 December 0 20 0.5 6 0 0 
			
			  2006   
			 January 0 19 0 9 0 0 
			 February 1 25.5 0 8.5 0 0 
			 March 0 28.5 0 9.5 0 0 
			 April 0.5 16.5 0 7.5 0 0 
			 May 0 26 0 8 0 0 
			 June 1 27.5 0.5 6.5 0 0 
			 July 0 35.5 0 5.5 0 0 
			 August 3 18.5 0.5 9.5 0 0 
			 September 1 24 0 5 0 0 
			 October 1 26 0 9 0 0 
			 November 1 33 0 10 0 0 
			 December 0 15 0.5 5 0 0 
			 (1 )A return journey is classed as one journey; if, for example, the outward leg of a journey is undertaken by air and the return by train, this is shown as half a journey under each column.

WALES

Departments: Correspondence

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters were  (a) sent and  (b) received by his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: A total of 933 letters were sent from the Wales Office between 1 January and 31 December 2006. In the same period the Wales Office received 4,360 letters, 450 were external letters, the rest were from other Government Departments. The wide difference between letters received and replied to is because, having considered them, they were either keeping me informed of issues and developments and did not require a response or did not require a letter in response.
	The following table gives the monthly breakdown:
	
		
			  2006  Sent  Received 
			 January 52 343 
			 February 63 483 
			 March 89 541 
			 April 71 260 
			 May 84 372 
			 June 132 410 
			 July 93 470 
			 August 53 161 
			 September 58 169 
			 October 78 416 
			 November 91 406 
			 December 69 329 
			 Total 933 4,360

Departments: Furniture

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many items of furniture were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from his Department in each year since 1997; and what the value was of those items in each year.

Peter Hain: None.

Departments: Press Releases

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many press statements the Wales Office released in each of the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office released the following press releases in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  2006  Number 
			 January 5 
			 February 7 
			 March 7 
			 April 5 
			 May 5 
			 June 6 
			 July 6 
			 August 4 
			 September 4 
			 October 4 
			 November 4 
			 December 4 
		
	
	We have also released numerous operational notes and quotes issued as reaction and rebuttal that we do not keep a record of.

National Assembly for Wales: Correspondence

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters he  (a) sent to and  (b) received from the First Minister for Wales in each of the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: I have had many discussions with the First Minister over the last 12 months. As for letters, our records show that a total of 15 letters were sent to the First Minister for Wales in the period 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006, and a total of 14 letters were received from the First Minister in the same period. The following table gives the monthly breakdown.
	
		
			  2006  Sent  Received 
			 January 0 0 
			 February 0 0 
			 March 3 3 
			 April 1 1 
			 May 0 0 
			 June 2 1 
			 July 1 1 
			 August 1 1 
			 September 1 1 
			 October 1 2 
			 November 4 1 
			 December 1 3 
			 Total 15 14

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

China Task Force

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many meetings of the China Task Force he has  (a) held and  (b) chaired since 18 September 2006; and what the outcome has been of those meetings.

John Prescott: I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
	 Substantive answer from the Deputy Prime Minister to Shailesh Vara:
	The China Task Force was set up in November 2003 at the request of the our Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier, and since that time has been working to deepen relations, foster mutual understanding, and further co-operation between China and the United Kingdom.
	It has met in full on nine occasions. Three of these meetings took place last year, and the next meeting is due to take place shortly. The Task Force last met in full on 12 September 2006, prior to Premier Wen's visit to the UK. Members of the Task Force met Premier Wen during the visit.
	Much of the Task Force's work is carried out through sub-groups and correspondence. For example, in November last year I held a meeting with senior members of the China British Business Council and in December with a group of sustainability experts to discuss sustainable cities.
	The Task Force has developed into a strategic high level contact mechanism, recognised and valued by the Chinese. Its achievements include the recommendation of annual Prime Minister level summits between the UK and China, signature of a high-level Dialogue on Sustainable Development issues, and enhanced co-ordination across Government of policy initiatives relating to China in the 7 key areas under its remit. The Task Force agreed a new focus on sustainable cities at its last meeting and work is ongoing to present a framework paper on this issue to the Chinese Government during my next visit to China in the spring.
	Details of China Task Force meetings and achievements are listed on the DPMO website at www.dpm.gov.uk.

Ministerial Visits

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what official visits he has made to hospitals in South London since the last general election.

John Prescott: I have not made any official visits to hospitals in South London since the last general election.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1980-81W, on Cabinet Office grants, how much was paid to the  (a) Civil Service Sports Council,  (b) Chequers Estate,  (c) Whitehall and Industry Group,  (d) Windsor Leadership Trust,  (e) Silver and Cream Ltd. and  (f) BBC Accounts Receivable; and what the purpose was of each grant;
	(2)  what level of grant the Cabinet Office made to each external organisation, including staff organisations, in the last year for which figures are available.

Hilary Armstrong: The Cabinet Office made the following payments to external organisations in 2005-06.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Civil Service Sports Council 1,322,221 
			 Chequers Estate 957,624 
			 London Fire and Emergency Planning 606,000 
			   
			  Authority  
			 Civil Service Benevolent Fund 500,000 
			 BBC Accounts Receivable 416,000 
			 The Stationery Office Ltd 374,674 
			 Dandy Bookseller 299,647 
			 Civil Service Retirement Fellowship 264,505 
			 Latitude Maps 67,853 
			 Whitehall and Industry Group 54,000 
			 Macmillan Distribution Ltd. 34,155 
			 Windsor Leadership Trust 27,500 
			 HSE Books 7,378 
			 Coutts Information Services Ltd. 7,126 
		
	
	The transaction entry in 2005-06 against Silver and Cream was a credit of £925. This was an accounting adjustment and not a grant payment as such.
	The reason for the difference between the sum of the payments aforementioned and the amount published in the 2005-06 resource accounts is due to accounting adjustments.
	The Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) grant assists the CSSC to encourage and co-ordinate the pursuit by all its affiliated organisations of all forms of sports and recreation throughout the civil service.
	The Chequers Estate grant is a payment for the maintenance of the country home for the Prime Minister. This grant also covers a contribution towards staff salaries and planned refurbishment and projects.
	In 2005-06, the Cabinet Office made a contribution to the deployment of two Whitehall and Industry Group employees to initiate, manage and run cross-sector activities that supported the Government's Professional Skills agenda and its work in talent development.
	The Windsor Leadership Trust (WLT) was established in 1981, as part of the activities of HRH Duke of Edinburgh, to run a development programme for leaders of the future in our society. The Cabinet Office pays a grant to the WLT to cover the attendance costs on the programme of particularly talented senior civil servants from across Government Departments. These costs are then recouped from the attendees' Departments.
	The BBC Accounts Receivable grant is paid to the BBC annually to underpin the cost of the necessary infrastructure and support of the National Attack Warning System (NAWS). NAWS is a resilient communications service. Its current purpose is to assure central Government's ability to issue information to the public, via the BBC, in the event of a disruptive challenge affecting the nation.

Electronic Government

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many virtual seminars have taken place to date as part of the Government's policy review.

Patrick McFadden: A series of six virtual seminars are planned to take place during February on the No. 10 website, focusing on the subject areas covered by the Policy Review working groups. None have taken place so far; their timing is yet to be confirmed.

Electronic Government

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many webchats have taken place to date as part of the Government's policy review.

Patrick McFadden: As part of the public engagement strand of the Policy Review, a series of webchats with Ministers on the No. 10 website is planned. They will give the public the opportunity to engage directly with Ministers around issues concerning the delivery of public services.
	The first webchat is scheduled with the Secretary of State for Health on 8 February. The details of further webchats have yet to be confirmed.

Electronic Government

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which companies administer the policy review's  (a) email alerts and  (b) policyreview.org.uk website; and how much has been paid from the public purse to each company.

Patrick McFadden: As part of the Policy Review, online seminars are being arranged, linked from the No. 10 website, providing a forum for debate around key issues emerging from the Working Groups.
	As part of this project, email alerts and the policyreview.org.uk website are being administered by The Live Group plc. The total cost of the project, including the delivery of the online seminars will be £10,000 plus VAT.

Ministerial Residences

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1853W, on ministerial residences, whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer had a role in the decision to refurbish the flat above 10 Downing street.

Hilary Armstrong: The flat was returned from office space to living accommodation by the Cabinet Office.

Public Sector: Reviews

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the cost was of the IPSOS Mori research undertaken as part of the Policy Review on Public Services that was published on 15 January 2007;
	(2)  what the cost has been to date of the IPSOS Mori contract as part of the Government's policy review.

Patrick McFadden: The costs of the Ipsos MORI contract to manage elements of the public engagement strand of the Policy Review to date have been £11,000. This covers background research and preparation for the seminar at 10 Downing street on 15 January.
	This represents the first tranche of a contract to manage elements of the public engagement strand of the Policy Review including Citizens Forums and a Summit in March.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Ministerial Visit

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he plans to visit schools in Northumberland.

Jim Knight: I was delighted to meet the Leader of Northumberland Council, the Director of Children's Services, a number of Councillors and Northumberland Education Action Group during my visit to Ashington, when I delivered my key note speech on "improving life chances for all children" on 21 November 2006. I hope to return to visit a number of schools in Northumberland later this year.

Head Teachers

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve recruitment and retention of head teachers.

Jim Knight: Since 1997, head teacher vacancies have remained low and fairly stable at under 1 per cent., but we know some schools are finding recruitment difficult and that more heads are approaching retirement age. That is why we recently announced an additional £10 million to support NCSL's work on succession planning and why PwC were asked to report on recruitment and retention issues as part of their independent review of school leadership.

Foreign Language Teaching

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the consistency of provision across English regions of foreign language teaching to primary school children.

Alan Johnson: We are currently carrying out research into the progress primary schools are making towards teaching languages to seven to 11-year-olds by 2010. Findings will help us target those regions where provision could be better. The last Headspace survey reported that 71 per cent. of primary schools are teaching or planning to teach languages.

Compulsory Post-16 Education

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for compulsory post-16 education.

Alan Johnson: We want every young person to undertake education or training that they find appealing and stretching up to at least the age of 18. This is why we are already moving to ensure that 90 per cent. of 17-year-olds participate by 2015. We are looking at ways of moving beyond even this ambitious target, and will bring forward further proposals in the spring.

Violence against Teachers

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many incidents of violence against teachers in the state system there were in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This information is not collected centrally. We know that, in 2004/05, there were 1,270 permanent and 18,480 fixed period exclusions for physical assault against an adult. Violence against school staff should not be tolerated. We fully back schools taking tough action against anyone—pupil or parent—who behaves aggressively.

Higher Education

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures his Department is considering under its strategy for widening participation in higher education; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Last November, the Department published "Widening Participation in higher education" setting out our commitment to widening participation and the action we are taking. Most importantly, we have reformed student support, giving more help to poorer students; we have established the Office for Fair Access; and we have extended the 'Aim higher' programme to 2008.

Adoption: Religion

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received from Jewish and Muslim community representatives on the effect on the operation of Jewish and Muslim adoption agencies of the Equality Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 5 February 2007
	This Department has not received any formal representations from either Jewish or Muslim community representatives on the effect on the operation of faith-based adoption agencies of the Equality Act 2006.

Adult Education

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely total number of closures of adult education courses at colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We do not collect information on the actual number of courses offered by colleges. We have been clear that in order to meet the skills challenges we face we need to increasingly focus on longer and more appropriate courses that lead to progression and give adults the skills they need for employment, such as full Level 2 courses. There are now more adults than ever successfully completing these sorts of courses.

Children and Adoption Act 2006

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his timetable is for implementing the provisions of the Children and Adoption Act 2006.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government expect that provisions in part 1 of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 in relation to Family Assistance Orders and risk assessments will be implemented from October 2007. This time scale is subject to completion of necessary changes to the court rules, following consideration by the Family Proceedings Rule Committee. We will be making a written ministerial statement shortly outlining the timetable for implementation of the remaining provisions in Part 1—on contact activities—as well as financial regulations.
	The WMS will also outline a timetable for implementation of Part 2 of the Act, in relation to provisions on adoptions with a foreign element.

Children's Social Workers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children's social workers were employed by local authorities in each of the last 10 years, expressed as  (a) headcount and  (b) whole-time equivalents.

Beverley Hughes: The number of people employed by local authorities in England who are counted as social workers with children is shown in the following table for the period 1996-2005.
	
		
			   Headcount  Whole time equivalent 
			 1996 17,400 15,600 
			 1997 18,700 16,800 
			 1998 18,900 17,000 
			 1999 19,200 17,300 
			 2000 19,700 17,800 
			 2001 20,400 18,100 
			 2002 21,400 19,100 
			 2003 22,800 20,500 
			 2004 23,600 21,200 
			 2005 24,400 21,800 
			  Notes: 1. Data have been rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures as at 30 September.  Source: Information Centre

Class Sizes

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools was in (i) Ludlow constituency and (ii) Shropshire in each year since 1997; and what the national average was in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools ( 1) : average class size ( 2) —1997-2006 
			   Ludlow  Shropshire LA   
			   Parliamentary constituency  (Before Local Government reorganisation)  (After Local Government reorganisation)  England 
			  Position in January each year  Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary  Primary  Secondary 
			 1997 26.4 20.2 27.4 21.9 n/a n/a 27.5 21.7 
			 1998 26.3 21.0 27.3 22.0 n/a n/a 27.7 21.7 
			 1999 26.7 21.3 n/a n/a 26.9 21.6 27.5 21.9 
			 2000 25.4 21.1 n/a n/a 26.0 21.6 27.1 22.0 
			 2001 24.9 21.2 n/a n/a 25.3 22.2 26.7 22.0 
			 2002 25.0 21.8 n/a n/a 25.6 22.3 26.3 21.9 
			 2003 25.6 20.9 n/a n/a 25.6 22.0 26.3 21.9 
			 2004 25.9 21.8 n/a n/a 25.9 22.2 26.2 21.8 
			 2005 26.3 20.6 n/a n/a 26.6 21.8 26.2 21.7 
			 2006 26.0 20.9 n/a n/a 26.7 21.9 26.3 21.5 
			 n/a - not applicable (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Classes taught by one teacher during a single selected period on the Census day in January.  Source:  Schools Census

Connexions Card

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of the Connexions card programme has been; and how many Connexion cards have been issued.

Parmjit Dhanda: For the period September 2001 to date, a total of £88.7 million has been spent on the Connexions card scheme and 1,022,276 cards have been issued.

DHL

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06.

Alan Johnson: DfES paid £20,028.27 to DHL for collection and delivery services during the period 1 April 2004 to 30 September 2004. DfES have not used DHLs services since 1 October 2004.
	Information in respect of costs for the financial years 1997-98 through to 2003-04, could be made available only at a disproportionate cost to the Department.

Disabled

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress his Department has made on implementing recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report on Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People.

Parmjit Dhanda: My Department has made progress on two key areas identified in the Life Chances report. Since the report was published we have improved significantly the provision of child care and education for disabled children and developed good practice guidance to improve the transitions of disabled young people to adult life. The work we are doing with the Treasury through the Disabled Children's Review is designed to further improve the life chances of disabled children and young people.

Education: Assessments

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school leavers at Key Stage 4 in England left with  (a) no passes,  (b) one pass,  (c) two passes,  (d) three passes,  (e) four passes,  (f) five passes and  (g) five passes or more in GCSE examinations in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 6 February 2007
	I refer to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 212W.

Education: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what allocation Barnet education authority has received for personalised learning in 2006-07; how much is expected to be allocated for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Schools receive funding for personalised learning through the following funding streams: the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), the Standards Fund (SF) and the School Standards Grant for Personalisation (SSG(P)). The DSG is distributed to local authorities who should consult locally through their schools forum to decide how best to distribute it in a way that reflects national priorities and local needs. The SF is allocated to local authorities who should target this funding at those schools with the highest number of pupils who have fallen behind. The SSG(P) is allocated directly to schools according to a formula set by the Department.
	During 2006-07 the total funding allocated to Barnet LA for personalised learning was £2,696,471. We estimate that the total funding for 2007-08 will be around £4,164,153 if pupil numbers remain the same. The funding breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 DSG 1,257,000 1,951,000 
			 SF 150,000 150,000 
			 SSG (P) 1,289,471 (1)2,063,153 
			 Total 2,696,471 4,164,153 
			 (1) Estimated. 
		
	
	This funding reflects the Government's commitment to tailor the support available for every child that allows them to reach their full potential, irrespective of their background or circumstances. This also provides extra support for those who need additional help to catch up and those who need further stretch to develop a particular gift or talent. Schools need to decide on their own plans to deliver personalised learning and determine how best to invest their additional resources and deploy their staff to deliver them.

Graduates: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of people of working age in Coventry South hold a qualification at degree level or equivalent or above.

Phil Hope: In the 2005 annual population survey, 32.0 per cent. (18,000) of people of working age in Coventry South held a qualification at degree level or equivalent or above. This compares to 23.0 per cent. (732,000) in the west midlands and 26.2 per cent. (7,997,000) in England.

Headteachers: Recruitment

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the recruitment process for academy principals was conducted; and how many principals have been appointed.

Jim Knight: The Department expects academy principals to be recruited by national advert, though in some areas where headteacher recruitment is difficult an executive search company might also be employed. We expect the process after long-listing to include an assessment centre and interviews with different expert panels before three or four candidates are put forward for final selection.
	The final selection panel consists of sponsors advised by a DfES representative. Sometimes a LA representative is present as an observer.
	In addition, we have employed an executive recruitment agency to conduct a national advertisement (to provide a pool of potential principals who have passed an assessment centre and interview process). This has been done to help sponsors, but they can if they wish conduct their own recruitment exercise.
	There are 46 open academies with principals in post at each. Eight academies have had more than one principal due to retirement or moving to new posts. We have also appointed a further 36 principals for academies due to open over the next two years.

Higher Education: Finance

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average amount spent by his Department was on each full-time undergraduate student attending a  (a) university and  (b) place of higher education in England in each year from 2003-04 to 2006-07.

Bill Rammell: The funding per full time equivalent higher education student studying at English institutions is shown in the following table.
	These funds include recurrent resources for teaching and research provided to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). The 'total funding per planned student' series also includes fee income. With the introduction of variable fees in 2006, there is no longer a fixed fee paid for each student, and so a new measure 'funding per planned student' is now used. All figures exclude expenditure on student support costs.
	It is not possible to disaggregate these figures between universities and other higher education providers or by course type because recurrent funds are provided to HEFCE and TDA with total expected student numbers irrespective of institution or course type. HEFCE uses the same teaching funding formula for all of the institutions it funds.
	
		
			  Real terms (2004-05 prices)( 1)  (£) 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total funding per planned student 5,500 5,530 5,670 — 
			 Funding per planned student — — 4,820 4,880 
			 (1) All figures are at 2004-05 prices using the March 2006 GDP deflators, rounded to the nearest 10, and consistent with the plans set out in the annual grant letter to HEFCE, and the Department's 2006 annual report. 
		
	
	The coverage of these figures is Home (i.e. UK) and EU domiciled students studying at higher education institutions and further education colleges in England.

Higher Education: Isle of Sheppey

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to sign off the plans for the academy for the Isle of Sheppey.

Jim Knight: Subject to the satisfactory outcome of local consultations and the completion of the feasibility stage, the funding agreement for an academy on the Isle of Sheppey would be in place by June 2007.

Higher Education: Isle of Sheppey

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he has considered alternatives to the proposed academy on the Isle of Sheppey.

Jim Knight: Proposals for the establishment of an academy on the Isle of Sheppey have been put forward by the sponsors and Kent county council. The feasibility of these proposals, which include a number of options, is currently being considered.

Higher Education: Isle of Sheppey

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) parents,  (b) teachers and  (c) elected councillors from the Isle of Sheppey are represented on the Shadow Academy.

Jim Knight: Parents, teachers and elected councillors are not represented on the Project Steering Group for this Academy, but they are involved in the consultations that are held during the feasibility stage of all Academy projects.

Home Education

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on monitoring home education; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Parents who elect to home educate their children must ensure that they receive efficient, full-time education suitable to each child's age, ability and aptitude and to any special needs they may have. Local authorities can make whatever inquiries they consider appropriate to establish whether education provided at home is in accordance with the law. My officials are currently drafting guidelines for local authorities on elective home education, which are due to be issued later this year.

King Fahad Academy

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make inquiries into allegations of racism and religious extremism at the King Fahad Academy, Acton; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All independent schools must comply with standards set out in the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 as amended. The Department is making inquiries in relation to allegations of racism and extremism at King Fahad Academy to establish whether the school complies with the statutory requirements.

Looked-after Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 219W, on looked after children, when he expects to disseminate the key lessons learned from the six community-based refuge pilots; and if he will take steps to ensure that children who have run away, need refuge and currently access the refuge pilot projects will have somewhere safe to go from April 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 5 February 2007
	We expect to have the report finalised in March and will disseminate key lessons and findings shortly after to all local authorities.
	It is the responsibility of local authority children's services to provide support for runaways. They have statutory responsibility for safeguarding children in their area and are best placed to assess the needs of runaways, and if deemed necessary, to provide them with overnight accommodation. Different options already exist, such as emergency foster care and placement in a children's home, and this will remain the case after April.
	Most children who run away do not require refuge though; they need counselling support and mediation services to help them return home and to address the causes of their running away, and local children's services can provide this. The number of runaways requiring immediate accommodation in any one area is likely to be low, and specialised 'static refuge' may not be seen as a sustainable, effective or cost-effective way of providing solutions to the problems young people face.

Nurseries: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery places were available through the Neighbourhood Nurseries Institute in Hendon in 2006-07; what the average cost per place was; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The neighbourhood nursery at Barnfield school in the Hendon parliamentary constituency is a 68 place nursery run by the private provider, Buffer Bear. The nursery has received £299,200 Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative funding over four years, with the final payment being made in 2006/07. The level of fees charged is determined locally by the provider in partnership with the local authority. The nursery is planned to become a Sure Start Children's Centre by March 2008.

Ofsted

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated research into the impact of adverse Ofsted reports on schools on the (i) behaviour, (ii) learning outcomes and (iii) self-esteem of pupils in such schools.

Jim Knight: The Department has not itself commissioned research into the specific impact of adverse Ofsted inspections. However, a number of reports have been produced which examine the impact of inspection, including in relation to the impact of adverse Ofsted inspections on individual schools. Ofsted published, in July 2004, 'Improvement through Inspection—An evaluation of the impact ofOfsted's work'. The National Audit Office (NAO) published 'Improving poorly performing schools in England' in January 2006. In November 2006, Ofsted published 'Improving behaviour: lessons learned from HMI monitoring of secondary schools where behaviour has been judged unsatisfactory'.
	The evidence indicates that an adverse Ofsted inspection report can be a catalyst to turning around poorly performing schools and most schools judged to be causing concern go on to make the necessary improvements. Based on evidence from monitoring visits of schools in a category of concern which have unsatisfactory behaviour, there is steady progress between these visits in eliminating unsatisfactory behaviour. In relation to learning outcomes, evidence from the NAO report shows that GCSE results for schools that have come out of Special Measures or benefited from Fresh Start do improve. The evidence has not specifically addressed the self-esteem of pupils in schools causing concern. However, Ofsted estimates that around half a million pupils have benefited from a better education as a result of improvements generated by special measures.

Pre-School Education

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding formula his Department uses to determine the annual budget for the free early years entitlement.

Beverley Hughes: Each local authority's total Dedicated Schools Grant for 2006-07 was calculated by multiplying their full-time equivalent pupil numbers (aged 3-15) from the January 2006 pupil count by their Dedicated Schools Grant Guaranteed Unit of Funding (the Dedicated Schools Grant Guaranteed Unit of Funding is unchanged from that set in December 2005).
	The Dedicated Schools Grant Guaranteed Unit of Funding for 2006-07 was based on actual spend per pupil in 2005-06, with a basic increase of 5 per cent. per pupil (5.1 per cent. for London authorities) and headroom allocated to reflect five ministerial priorities (including £82 million to fund the extension of the free early years entitlement to 38 weeks). £30 million was also distributed between authorities who spent below the level of undamped Schools Formula Sending Share in 2005-06.
	The £82 million extra for the extension of the free early years entitlement from 33 to 38 weeks was distributed on the basis of the number of full-time equivalent children in private, voluntary and independent settings (since pupils in maintained settings already received 38 weeks' free provision), weighted for area costs.
	Where authorities were below 90 per cent. participation for their three-year-olds in January 2006, the number of three-year-olds for funding purposes was brought up to 90 per cent. of the projected population.
	For 2007-08, each local authority's Dedicated Schools Grant will be calculated by multiplying their full-time equivalent pupil numbers (aged 3-15) from the January 2007 pupil count by their Dedicated Schools Grant Guaranteed Unit of Funding (the Dedicated Schools Grant Guaranteed Unit of Funding is also unchanged from that set in December 2005).
	The Dedicated Schools Grant Guaranteed Unit of Funding for 2007-08 is based on each authority's 2006-07 Guaranteed Unit of Funding, with a basic increase of 5 per cent. per pupil (5.1 per cent. for London authorities) and headroom allocated to reflect three ministerial priorities. £30 million was again distributed between authorities who spent below the level of undamped Schools FSS in 2005-06.
	It is up to local authorities—in conjunction with their schools forum—to decide how to allocate their Dedicated Schools Grant between age groups and types of setting.

Pupils: Autism

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage the provision of secondary sector mainstream support for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder.

Parmjit Dhanda: It is for local authorities to keep under review their arrangements for special educational needs (SEN) provision, including provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), and to secure sufficient primary and secondary schools. The Good Practice Guidance on ASDs which the Department published, in association with the Department of Health, in 2002 encourages local authorities to develop the range of provision to meet the range of autistic children's needs. This would include provision in mainstream schools and in units attached to such schools.
	The Good Practice Guidance gave pointers to good practice for local authorities, schools, including mainstream secondary schools, and others to help them develop and audit their autism provision. A number of local authorities and the Regional Partnerships, funded by the Department, have produced guidance to support pupils with ASDs in mainstream secondary schools, such the North West Region's guidance on strategies for accessing the curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 for children with autism.
	The Department, through its Autism Working Group, is beginning to develop an ASD resource pack for schools, including mainstream secondary schools. The pack will complement the Good Practice Guidance by giving practical advice to schools on meeting the needs of children with ASDs and will be developed as part of the SEN strategy's Inclusion Development Programme in association with the National Primary and Secondary Strategies.

Pupils: Jewellery

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has issued to education authorities on the wearing by school pupils of purity rings.

Jim Knight: [holding answer 6 February 2007: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) on 13 June 2006,  Official Report, column1099W. School governing bodies determine school uniform policy and dress codes under powers conferred by the 1998 School Standards and Framework Act. The Department's guidance does not specifically mention jewellery with religious significance, but states that in deciding the format of their uniform, governors should have regard to their responsibilities under anti-discrimination legislation. It also states that in setting a policy, the school should be sensitive to pupil's cultural and religious needs and differences.

Pupils: Languages

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will rank education authorities in  (a) London and  (b) England by the (i) number and (ii) percentage of pupils with a first language other than English; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.

Runaway Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the number of children who received debriefing interviews after running away from home or care in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 5 February 2007
	No information is held centrally. However, the "Children's Homes—National Minimum Standards" (NMS) and "Children Missing from Care and from Home—a guide to good practice", issued by Government in 2002, specifies that upon return to a children's home after being missing, a young person should be given the opportunity for a return interview, to discuss the reasons for their absence. These standards require children's homes to keep written records of the circumstances of all missing incidents, including reasons for absence given by the young person. Records are made available when homes are inspected by officers from the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
	Also, it has always been policing good practice to interview all runaway and missing persons on return, to establish why they went missing, where they went, were they victims or perpetrators of crime, and whether they came to any other form of harm. The National Centre of Police Excellence estimate that 90 per cent. of children are spoken to as part of this return-home process. This is formalised in the 2005 Association of Chief Police Officers' document "Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons".

Runaway Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the number of local authority children's services that have a named lead officer for safeguarding children who run away from home or care.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 5 February 2007
	No information is currently held centrally but we are working with the Children's Society to review services to runaways in local authorities, and early indications from that work suggest that most respondents so far have been able to provide a named lead officer.

Runaway Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local authorities in England included references to runaway children in their current Children and Young People' Plans.

Parmjit Dhanda: Recent research undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research found that 4 per cent. of current Children and Young People's Plans, from a representative sample of 75 local authorities, make specific reference to runaway children. However, local children's services view running away as a symptom of broader problems in young people's lives. We are working with the Children's Society to review the services that help runaways in local authorities.

School Closures: Leaving Age

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account he has taken of recent decisions by local authorities to close secondary schools when formulating his policy of extending the age of compulsory education.

Bill Rammell: Local authorities are under a statutory duty to secure sufficient primary and secondary schools for their areas. In order to fulfil this duty they have powers to propose changes to the provision of schools. These include the power to propose the closure of a secondary school where this is judged to be in the best interests of local pupils. In doing so, local authorities will take account of the number of pupils to cater for and the range of provision to be offered. They will continue to do so in the future.
	We have an aspiration for 90 per cent. of 17 year olds to participate in education or training by 2015, and are currently considering ways to move beyond this rate. This participation can of course be in schools, colleges, or work-based learning, and could be full or part-time.

School Food Trust

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the appointment of the new Chair of the School Food Trust;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the work of the School Food Trust;
	(3)  how responsibilities are divided between the Chair and the Chief Executive of the School Food Trust.

Parmjit Dhanda: Prue Leith's appointment as Chair of the School Food Trust was announced on 9 November 2006. This followed an open competition in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. She began her two year term of office on 15 January 2007. She is a renowned businesswoman, charity founder, cook and food writer. She will lead the School Food Trust's work to raise catering and nutritional standards in schools, increase the uptake of school meals and build awareness of healthy eating and food skills among children and young people. The Secretary of State commented on her appointment that
	"her business acumen, high-profile and passion about changing public attitudes towards healthy eating, make her an outstanding candidate for this role".
	Her terms and conditions stipulate a commitment of 36 days of work per annum and her duties involve Chairing a Board of professionals from a variety of educational and food-related backgrounds. She has responsibility for overseeing the overall strategic direction of the Trust and the successful delivery of its targets in relation to the supply of and demand for healthy food in schools. The Chief Executive, an employee of the School Food Trust, is responsible for day-to-day managerial and operational matters in relation to the delivery of its targets.
	The Trust has a challenging agenda and is making good progress in its first full year of operation. I have held quarterly progress meetings with the Chair and the Chief Executive to review progress against targets (contained in the Trust's Strategic Plan, which is available on its website at www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk) and I am pleased with the work they have delivered to date.

School Meals: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding his Department will make available to schools in Coventry South to improve school meals over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Government are determined to transform the quality of food in schools and support the work local authorities and schools are doing to raise the nutritional standards of school meals.
	We are investing close to £500 million between 2005 and 2011 to assist authorities and schools in improving school lunches and other school food. Coventry local authority has already received over £500,000 of that funding and, in each of the years 2005-06 and 2006-07, its schools, including schools in Coventry South have received a lump sum of £1,070 per primary and £1,500 per secondary school, with an additional 50p per pupil. In 2007-08, Coventry local authority and each of its schools will receive similar levels of funding to improve school food and, between 2008 and 2011, each area will receive a share of £240 million to help subsidise the costs of ingredients in school lunches.

School Meals: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress is being made in improving the standard of school meals, with particular reference to Hendon.

Parmjit Dhanda: New food-based standards covering all school lunches in England were introduced in September 2006 and food-based standards for school food other than lunch will be introduced in September 2007. Nutrient-based standards for school lunches will be introduced in primary schools by September 2008 and secondary schools by September 2009.
	We are also investing close to £500 million between 2005 and 2011 to assist authorities and schools in improving school lunches and other school food. Barnet local authority has already received over £470,000 of that funding and, in each of the years 2005-06 and 2006-07, its schools, including schools in Hendon, have received a lump sum of £1,070 per primary school and £1,500 per secondary school, with an additional 50 pence per pupil.
	Supported by this funding, I understand that all school lunches provided by the local authority for Hendon primary and secondary schools meet the nutritional standards. In the last year new menus have been introduced and food is cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients.

School Meals: Standards

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what science-based studies underpinned  (a) the new school food-based standards and  (b) the new school food nutrient-based standards; what advice he received on each of these sets of standards from the Food Standards Agency; what plans he has to monitor uptake of school meals since the introduction of new school meal standards; and when data on the uptake will be published;
	(2)  what the division of responsibilities for the new school food standards is between his Department, the School Food Trust and the Food Standards Agency; and what role the recommendations of the School Meals Review Panel played in the development of the new standards for school meals introduced from September 2006.

Parmjit Dhanda: Ministers at the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) are responsible for school food policy, including final decisions on standards for school food. The School Food Trust (SFT) is a Non-Departmental Public Body, established by DfES as its key delivery partner for school food. Its objectives include working with schools, local authorities and others to identify and, where possible, overcome barriers to transforming school food. It is also responsible for developing a strategy to increase demand for school lunches by at least 4 percentage points by March 2008 and 10 percentage points by autumn 2009. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent Government Department established to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food. It advises DfES on scientific and technical aspects including food safety, nutrition and diet.
	Responsibility for ensuring the school food standards are met rests with local authorities. This responsibility is transferred to the governing body of any school that has the budgetary element for school lunches delegated to them. Ultimately, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has powers to direct a school to meet the standards where they are failing to do so.
	The School Meals Review Panel (SMRP) was established by DfES to advise on standards for school lunches. It reported to Ministers in September 2005 and, as part of its wider recommendations, recommended the standards it proposed for school lunches be extended to cover food other than lunch. DfES Ministers subsequently commissioned the SFT to develop such wider standards. Based on the recommendations of both the SMRP and the SFT, DfES Ministers announced final standards for all school food in May 2006.
	During the formulation of these recommendations, evidence was considered from a variety of sources including published scientific studies, evaluative projects and lessons learnt from schools and local authorities. Reports giving details of the recommendations and sources of information are at:
	www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/documents.asp?DocCatld=1
	Officials from the FSA acted as observers at SMRP meetings and provided technical advice on the standards. The FSA has also developed voluntary target nutrient specifications for manufactured foods used in school meals, which will help schools work towards meeting the nutrient standards.
	In March 2006, the SFT undertook its "First Annual Survey of School Meals Take-up in Schools in England". Results from this survey were published in July 2006. The next SFT annual survey will be undertaken in April 2007 and results will be published in May 2007. All results will be available at:
	www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk

Schools: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to support school sport in Hendon;
	(2)  what opportunities the 2012 Olympics offers to school sports in Hendon.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are jointly implementing the national PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy in England. In the five years to 2008 over £1.5 billion is being invested (including £686 million lottery funding) to implement the strategy.
	The strategy is delivering an ambitious public service agreement target to increase the percentage of 5-16 year olds who spend a minimum of two hours a week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006 and then 85 per cent. by 2008. The 2005-06 school sport survey results found that overall, 80 per cent. of pupils of the 17,122 schools taking part were participating in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week—surpassing the target by 5 percentage points. The long-term ambition, by 2010, is to offer all children at least four hours of sport every week.
	All schools in Hendon are now in a School Sport Partnership. Some are part of the Barnet South Partnership, which was established in 2005 and is receiving funding of £508,286 in 2005-06 to 2007-08. The proportion of pupils in the partnership who are participating in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week is 83 per cent. The national average is 80 per cent. The other schools are in the St. James' Partnership, which has the host site in Hendon. The partnership was established in September 2006 and will receive £414,579 in 2006-07 to 2007-08.
	The Department is currently developing its plans on how the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We will be using the Games to widen participation in sport for children and young people. The key aim will be to sustain the impact of the current School Sport Strategy through to 2012 and beyond.

Schools: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department has made available for capital expenditure in Hendon schools since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his plans are for future capital investment in schools in Hendon; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which schools in Hendon received capital funding directly from his Department in each year since May 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what capital funding was made available to Barnet education authority in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department maintains central records on allocations to local authorities, not constituencies. Accordingly, these questions are answered in respect of Barnet education authority. Allocations made available for investment in Barnet schools since 1997 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 1.8 
			 1998-99 5.6 
			 1999-2000 3.9 
			 2000-01 11.9 
			 2001-02 7.5 
			 2002-03 15.9 
			 2003-04 12.0 
			 2004-05 18.5 
			 2005-06 15.1 
			 2006-07 41.5 
		
	
	The large allocation in 2006-07 includes £28.4 million for a one school pathfinder, at East Barnet secondary school, part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.
	Allocations of £13.6 million are planned for 2007-08, and allocations to local authorities for further years will be announced later this year.
	Schools in Barnet which have received ring-fenced funding from the Department since 1997, in addition to East Barnet secondary school, are as follows: Targeted capital funding (TCF) allocations of £2.7 million in 2002-03 for development of the Compton school, £6.8 million in 2004-05 for Akiva primary school, and £4.4 million in 2005-06 for a school for the future at West Hendon.
	In addition each local authority is required, from its allocations, to give schools devolved formula capital (DFC) for their own use. Guidelines on how local authorities should calculate DFC are set out in the following website link:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=9824.
	The majority of funding the Department allocates to local authorities is allocated by them between schools in accordance with their own priorities.

Schools: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Hendon offer extended hours; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: There are currently over 3,800 extended schools in England. This includes 26 schools in Barnet local authority, of which 11 are in the Hendon area (10 primary and one special).
	All these schools are providing a core offer of extended services. This is comprised of a varied menu of study support activities and high quality childcare 8am-6pm all year round in primary schools. These services will be provided on the school site or in partnership with local private, voluntary and independent providers. They will also offer parenting support; swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services such as health and social care; and wider community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities, on the school site including adult learning.

Schools: Land

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have made applications to purchase land in each year since 1997; and how many were successful.

Jim Knight: Complete information is not held by the Department as most schools do not need to apply for the Secretary of State's consent to purchase and acquire land.

Secondary Education: Finance

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average amount spent by  (a) his Department and  (b) local education authorities was on each full-time pupil attending secondary school in England in each year from 2003-04 to 2006-07.

Jim Knight: The following table gives the information requested on the average amount spent by the Department and local education authorities on each full-time pupil attending secondary school in England in each year from 2003-04 to 2006-07.
	 (a) The revenue funding figures per pupil aged 11 to 15 for England for years 2003-04 to 2005-06 are as follows:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 England 4,370 4,540 4,730 
			  Notes: 1. Price Base: real terms at 2005-06 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 27 September 2006 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of standard spending assessment/education formula spending (EFS) settlements. Figures include the pensions transfer to EFS. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 11 to 15 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. For those authorities in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 2004-05, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (2004-05). There will be a consequential reduction in DfES grant for these LEAs in future years (either 2006-07 and 2007-08 or 2006-07 to 2008-09, depending on the terms on which the advance was given to the LEA). 4. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations. 5. Rounding: figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 6. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 7. The revenue funding per pupil figures only run to 2005-06 because we cannot provide a consistent time series beyond that year as the introduction of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded. The 2004-05 and 2005-06 figures are based on education formula spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the local government finance settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. In 2006-07 funding for schools changed with the introduction of the DSG which is based largely on an authority's previous spending. 8. In addition, DSG has a different coverage to EFS: EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's local government finance settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. This means we have a break in our time series as the two sets of data are not comparable, an alternative time series is currently under development. 9. To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, we have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06; as described above this does not represent the totality of 'education' funding in that year. 
		
	
	There are other grants that support the schools budget, these are not included in the provided DSG figures. These cash figures for all funded pupils aged three to 15 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   2005-06 Baseline  2006-07 DSG 
			 England 3,411 3,643 
		
	
	As the DSG is just a mechanism for distributing funding there is not a primary/secondary split available.
	 (b) The funding which individual schools receive via their school budget shares is a matter for individual local authorities to decide locally through their own local funding formulae (subject to satisfying the minimum funding guarantee for schools from 2004-05 onwards). The amount of revenue funding allocated to secondary schools per pupil at the start of financial year by local authorities is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Total budget share plus grants( 1)  per pupil( 2)  allocated( 3)  to local authority maintained secondary schools( 4)  in England—2003-04 to 2006-07. These figures are in real terms: 2005-06 prices( 6) : 
			   £ 
			   Secondary school budget share plus grants per pupil( 1,2,3,4,5) 
			   
			 2003-04(1) 3,380 
			 2004-05 3,530 
			 2005-06 3,750 
			 2006-07 3,990 
			 (1) Budget share plus grants is the combination of the schools individual budget share plus any revenue grants allocated to the school at the start of the financial year. In 2003-04, the amount of Excellence in Cities (EiC) grant allocated to individual schools was not recorded on the Section 52 budget statements and is therefore excluded from the figures for that year. The EiC grant allocated to secondary schools accounts for 36 and 41 of the respective 2004-05 and 2005-06 per pupil totals (EiC no longer existed as a separate grant in 2006-07). (2) The pupil numbers used to calculate the per pupil amounts are as reported by the local authority on their Section 52 budget statement comprising of the full time equivalent number pupils registered at the school used for the initial determination of the school's budget share under the local authority's allocation formula. (3) The amount of money allocated to a school depends very much on the individual local authorities' own policy for funding their schools. Different authorities retain varying amounts of funding centrally to spend on behalf of their schools while others chose to give schools more autonomy over how they spend their money by devolving more funding to the individual school. (4) All schools are as deemed by the local authority on their Section 52 budget statement. Hence middle deemed secondary schools are included in the figures for secondary schools. Secondary figures also include any LSC funding and LSC pupils for schools with 6th forms. (5) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and may not sum due to rounding. 6 Cash figures are adjusted to 2005-06 prices using the December 2006 GDP deflators.  Source: The data are drawn from local authorities' Section 52 budget statements (Table 2) submitted to the Department for Education and Skills.

Secondary Education: Qualifications

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on progress with the introduction of the new 14 to 19 diplomas.

Parmjit Dhanda: We have met the milestones for development of the new specialised Diploma qualifications that we published in the 14-19 Education and Skills Implementation Plan (DfES 2037-2005DCL-EN). This means that we are on track for specialised diploma courses to be provided for the first time from September 2008.
	As set out in the Implementation Plan, the first national awards of the General Diploma will take place in 2011.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in delivering the Government's strategy to combat teenage pregnancy; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: We are making steady progress In reducing England's teenage pregnancy rate. The latest data show that between 1998 and 2004 the under-18 rate fell by 11.1 per cent. and the under-16 rate fell by 15.2 per cent. Both rates are now at their lowest levels for 20 years.

Young Offender Institutions

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1155W, what steps have been taken to ensure that vulnerable young people at Thorn Cross Young Offender Institute will continue to receive their entitlement to services under the Children's Act 1989 after March 2007.

Beverley Hughes: As a result of the discussions referred to in my previous reply, the Government and the Youth Justice Board have decided to provide funding to support the role of social worker posts in young offender institutions for a further year, to March 2008, and to consider the best way forward in the light of the evaluation of this initiative. I should reiterate however that this facilitates but does not remove the statutory duty on local authorities to provide services to children and young people in need and I still expect them to act in accordance with this responsibility.

Young People

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1054W, on parents in prison and 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 226W, on young carers, if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities make reference to groups of vulnerable children in their Children and Young People's Plans.

Parmjit Dhanda: Children and Young People's Plans must be broad in coverage yet succinct and accessible. They will be underpinned by detailed operational plans showing how the needs of particular groups of vulnerable children are to be met. Guidance makes clear that children, young people and families should be involved in a needs assessment and that the views of vulnerable groups should be sought.

Young People

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities which spend 20 per cent. of their carers' grant allocation on young carers' support, according to the formula recommended by Government.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 5 February 2007
	We do not collect this information. Although the Department of Health publishes guidance each year to assist local authorities in the use of their allocations, it is for the authorities themselves to make spending decisions based on local needs.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Afghan Government on the dismissal of Mohammed Daud as provincial governor of Helmand Province;
	(2)  what representations she has made to the Afghan Government on the dismissal of Mohammed Daud, provincial governor of Helmand Province.

Kim Howells: The United Kingdom is the second largest donor of development assistance to Afghanistan and the second largest troop contributor. We made clear to the Afghan Government that as lead nation for the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team we continued to have confidence in governor Daud.
	Decisions on appointments are for the Afghan Government to make. We welcome the positive relationship that our officials have already established with the Helmand's new governor, Asaddullah Wafa, with whom we are working closely and constructively.

Algeria: Deportation

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) investigations she has undertaken into and  (b) reports she has received on the detention of the Algerian nationals known as Q and K in Algeria following their deportation from the UK; whether access is permitted to the two men; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Four individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity were deported to Algeria between 20 and 27 January 2007. Embassy officials in Algiers are in regular contact with senior Algerian Government officials. The Algerian Government have provided information on all four men, including whether they have been detained. The latest information is that all four men were detained for questioning; two were released before the 12 day period of detention authorised under the Algerian Penal Code expired; one man remained in detention as of 6 February (the 12 day period of detention not having expired in his case); and one remained in detention, having been charged with an offence before the 12 day period expired. Article 51(a)(l) of the Algerian Penal Code states that a person held in custody is entitled to communicate with his family and to receive visits, subject to preservation of the secrecy of the investigation. Embassy officials will stay in close touch with the Algerian Government.

Algeria: Detainees

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the Government of Algeria on the detention in Algeria of two men removed from the UK on 20 and 24 January 2007.

Kim Howells: Four individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity were deported to Algeria between 20 and 27 January 2007. Embassy officials in Algiers are in regular contact with senior Algerian Government officials. The Algerian Government have provided information on all four men, including whether they have been detained. The latest information is that all four men were detained for questioning; two were released before the 12 day period of detention authorised under the Algerian Penal Code expired; one man remained in detention as of 6 February (the 12 day period of detention not having expired in his case); and one remained in detention, having been charged with an offence before the 12 day period expired. Embassy officials will stay in close touch with the Algerian Government.

Bermuda

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in discussions on independence for Bermuda; what the Government's policy is on independence for Bermuda; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: There are no discussions taking place with Bermuda on independence. Britain's policy towards the Overseas Territories rests on the basis that it is the citizens of each territory who determine whether they stay British.

Commonwealth: Pensions

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to reciprocal pension arrangements for nationals of Commonwealth countries at the last three Commonwealth Heads of Government conferences; and what plans she has to place the matter on the agenda of the next conference.

Kim Howells: The agenda for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting has yet to be decided.
	Pensions are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Departmental Equal Opportunities

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) programmes,  (b) projects,  (c) courses and  (d) other activities her Department undertakes under her Department's Positive Action strategy for (i) women and (ii) ethnic minorities.

Geoff Hoon: We do not have a Positive Action strategy. Our underlying approach to diversity is to create a working environment where all staff feel able to fully contribute—regardless of their background. Our primary objective therefore is to ensure a level-playing field for all when it comes to recruitment, selection, career development, promotion and training. We aim to achieve this through ensuring fully transparent and meritocratic policies, procedures and decisions.
	Positive action can support this approach through for example:
	ensuring that our external recruitment campaign targets talented members of under-represented groups, for example by working with the most diverse (ethnicity and social inclusion index) top 30 universities to bring a career in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the attention of talented students;
	providing support or training for under-represented groups, so that they can compete, equally, with other groups, for example the Spring Board development programme for women and events to encourage women in delegated grades to consider careers in the senior management.

Departmental Training

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the projected annual cost is of the proposed Band D assessment and development centres, including the cost of consultants.

Geoff Hoon: It is difficult to give accurate projections of the cost of the Band D assessment and development centre at this stage, as we have not yet decided on the centre design, nor awarded the contract for its delivery. But we estimate that the centres' annual cost will be in the region of £200,000-£300,000. It will not be possible to break this figure down to indicate consultants' costs until the contract is awarded.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in  (a) Germany,  (b) France and  (c) the USA on Iran's (i) potential to launch rockets into space and (ii) plans for an inter-continental ballistic missile.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed Iran's space programme or reported intercontinental ballistic missile ambitions with her French, German and US counterparts, but Ministers and officials have discussed other issues relating to Iran's missile programme, including in the context of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1737. We are very concerned by reports that Iran is seeking to develop longer-range ballistic missile systems. UNSCR 1737 imposes sanctions against the Iranian missile programme, including a ban on the export to and import from Iran of certain relevant goods and technologies and an asset freeze against listed individuals and entities involved in missile related activity.

Iraq: Oil

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the amount of oil revenues lost to smuggling in Iraq over the last two years.

Kim Howells: Estimates on the extent of oil smuggling in Iraq vary and it is difficult to obtain an accurate figure. However, a report produced last year by the Iraqi Oil Ministry's Inspector, General Ali Alaak, estimated that some US$4.2 billion worth of oil related products were smuggled out of Iraq in 2005.
	Oil smuggling is caused by the disparity between the price of oil and its refined products in Iraq and the price in neighbouring countries. The Government of Iraq have been working with the International Monetary Fund to eliminate fuel subsidies to increase prices gradually since 2005, which should reduce the incentive to smuggle as potential profits fall.
	An inadequate metering system in Iraq also inhibits the Government of Iraq's ability to tackle smuggling as it limits the ability to track how much oil is produced and exported. In January the Government of Iraq installed new meters at the Al-Basra oil terminal which exports the vast majority of oil exports from Iraq. Work to install an effective metering system through Iraq and upgrade existing meters should help improve the transparency of oil production and oil exports.

Iraq: Oil

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the British Ambassador made to the Iraqi Finance Minister in late 2004 on  (a) behalf of the International Tax and Investment Center and  (b) production-sharing agreements for the development of Iraq's oil.

Kim Howells: None.

Jamaica: Entry Clearances

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average length of time taken to process a visa by the British consulate in Jamaica was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: The visa section in our high commission in Kingston regularly meets public service agreement (PSA) 1 (within 24 hours) and PSA 2 (15 working days) targets.
	The target time for PSA 3 (settlement) is 12 weeks. Kingston currently has a six month waiting time for settlement interviews. New procedures were put in place in early February to tackle this backlog.
	 PSA targets:
	(1) 90 per cent. of straightforward non-settlement visa applications to be processed and available for return to the applicant within 24 hours from the date of receipt by a visa section of the application and all supporting documents including the fee.
	(2) 90 per cent. of non-settlement applications requiring further enquiries or interview (ie non-straightforward) to be decided within 15 working days from the date of receipt by a visa section of the application and all supporting documents including the fee.
	(3) 90 per cent. of applicants for settlement visas to be interviewed within 12 weeks.

Kosovo

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of UN efforts to decide the final status of Kosovo; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom fully supports the UN-led final status process for Kosovo and the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. On 2 February, we reached an important point in the process when President Ahtisaari presented his draft settlement proposals to the parties in Belgrade and Pristina.
	We are confident that his draft proposals can form the basis for a fair and sustainable settlement for all of Kosovo's communities, which will enhance regional stability and the region's European and Euro-Atlantic prospects.

Palestinians: Arms Trade

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information she has received on which countries have supplied weapons and ammunition to the military wings of  (a) Hamas and  (b) Fatah in (i) the West Bank and (ii) the Gaza Strip since August 2006.

Kim Howells: Both Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and Hamas's recently established Executive Security Force are believed to be funded by the Hamas movement, which raises money from both private donations and friendly governments. In December 2006, media reports alleged that Hamas had been promised US$250 million from Iran, some of which may be used to buy weapons.
	Unlike Hamas, Fatah does not have an official military wing. There are a number of militant groups that have been linked to Fatah, including the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. It is the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters.

Palestinians: EC Aid

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effect in the Palestinian territories of the European Union's decision to withdraw humanitarian aid to the civilian population.

Kim Howells: The EU has not withdrawn humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population. On the contrary, in 2006 the EU gave over £680 million to the Palestinian people, more than in any other year. The UK has contributed £12 million to the Temporary International Mechanism and announced in December 2005 a four year, £76.6 million commitment to the UN Relief and Works Agency.

Saudi Arabia: Project Al Yamamah

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations were made by or on behalf of the Government of Saudi Arabia to the Government of the United Kingdom on the continuation of the Serious Fraud Office investigation into the Al Yamamah deal; and when and to whom such representations were made.

Kim Howells: The Government are in frequent and regular contact with the Government of Saudi Arabia as part of the normal conduct of our close bilateral relationship across a wide range of issues of mutual concern.

Sri Lanka

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have applied for entry clearance to the UK from Sri Lanka in each of the last 10 years.

Kim Howells: The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:
	
		
			   Applications received 
			 1996 11,796 
			 1997 12,288 
			 1998 14,594 
			 1999 18,449 
			 2000 21,288 
		
	
	After 2000, UKvisas published statistics were produced according to the financial year rather than the calendar year.
	
		
			  Financial year  Applications received 
			 2001-02 21,932 
			 2002-03 21,831 
			 2003-04 30,376 
			 2004-05 28,937 
			 2005-06 28,215 
			  Source: UKvisas Published Statistics  Date: 1 February 2007 
		
	
	UKvisas makes every effort to ensure that statistics produced from our 'Central Reference System' are accurate. However, the complexity of our global business, including technical failures or occasional inconsistencies in data entry across any of over 150 offices, means we cannot 100 per cent. guarantee accuracy.

Travel Restrictions: European Union

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which individual subject to an EU travel ban she received a formal representation as referred to in the answer of 31 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 387-8W, on EU travel bans; what mechanism is used to determine whether to grant informal requests to travel by those subject to bans; and whether ministers are involved in the decision.

Kim Howells: It would not be appropriate for the Government to reveal details relating to an individual case. Applications to travel to the UK from individuals on the EU travel ban list, whether received formally or informally, would be rejected unless they specifically applied and qualified under any exemptions set out in the relevant Common Position. Any decision to grant entry in those circumstances would be subject to ministerial consideration.

TREASURY

Capital Gains Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from capital gains tax arising from the development of land in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Statistics on the numbers and values of assets disposed in financial year 2003-04, by type of asset, are available in National Statistics table 14.4 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/menu.htm
	The asset headings include agricultural land and buildings, and other land and buildings, but no further breakdown distinguishing land that was subject to development is available.

Census

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information from the 1921 census may be released following the recent ruling by the Information Commissioner; and who makes decisions about what information may be released.

John Healey: The Information Commissioner was quite clear that the ruling concerned was confined to the circumstances of a particular application for release of information from the 1911 census.
	No information from the 1921 census will be released as a result of the ruling.
	The 1921 census was conducted under the terms of the 1920 Census Act which prohibits the release of personal information without lawful authority. The census returns are retained in the National Statistician and Registrar General's custody with the approval of the Lord Chancellor by virtue of Section 3(4) of the Public Records Act and are scheduled to be released to the public in January 2022.

Child Trust Fund

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children were eligible for child trust fund vouchers in 2005-06; and how many children have been so eligible in 2006-07.

Edward Balls: pursuant to the reply, 18 December 2006, Official Report, c. 1540W
	My answer stated that 935,000 child trust fund vouchers had been issued to eligible children in 2005-06 as set out at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/child-trust-funds.htm. The correct figure as the table shows is in fact 835,000. I very much regret this inadvertent error.

Clostridium Difficile

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has given to  (a) NHS hospitals,  (b) nursing and care homes,  (c) dentists,  (d) ambulance trusts,  (e) general practitioners and  (f) other hospitals on listing clostridium difficile as the cause of death on official death certificates; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The Registrar General has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what guidance has been given to  (a) NHS hospitals,  (b) nursing and care homes,  (c) dentists,  (d) ambulance trusts,  (e) general practitioners and  (f) other hospitals on listing clostridium difficile as the cause of death on official death certificates. I am replying in her absence. (118964)
	Death certification is a statutory duty of individual medical practitioners under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1953. It is not part of their employment by NHS trusts, other hospitals, primary care trusts or nursing homes. Death certificates cannot be completed by dentists, ambulance personnel, or any other person who is not a registered medical practitioner. Guidance is therefore directed to doctors, not institutions. The General Register Office (GRO) of the Office for National Statistics is responsible for death registration and local registrars supply books of medical certificates of cause of death (MCCDs) to doctors and hospitals. Every book includes notes on how to complete the MCCD. These make clear that doctors are required to complete the MCCD to the best of their knowledge and belief. They are asked to include on the death certificate every disease or condition which, in their clinical judgment, contributed to the death either directly or indirectly.
	Updated guidance to certifiers was published on the GRO website in July 2005 (www.gro.gov.uk/medcert). The updated guidance specifically draws attention to health care associated infections (HCAI). HCAI, including disease due to clostridium difficile, should be treated exactly the same as any other disease when it comes to death certification. If, in the certifying doctor's clinical judgment, it was part of the sequence leading directly to death, it should be written in part I of the MCCD. If the doctor thinks that it was not part of the direct sequence, but did contribute to causing the patient's death indirectly, he should write it in part II of the MCCD.
	The Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health drew this guidance to the attention of all registered doctors through his CMO update no. 42 in July 2005
	(http://www.dh.gov.uk/AboutUs/MinistersAndDepartmentLeaders/ChiefMedicalOfficer/CMOPublications/CMOUpdate/fs/en).

Constituencies: Statistics

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has to produce data for the new constituency areas once the order implementing the Boundary Commission's recommendations has been laid; and whether he has issued guidance to the ONS on the production of statistics for the new constituencies.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning what plans the ONS has to produce data for the new constituency areas once the order has been moved; and what guidance has been issued to the ONS on the production of statistics for the new constituencies. I am replying in her absence. (119197)
	I have assumed your question is with reference to the parliamentary constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006 (25 April 2006) which will become operative at the date of the next ordinary election to the Assembly in May 2007 in respect of the Assembly Constituencies and at the date of the next parliamentary election in respect of the parliamentary constituencies. An impact of the Order is that the boundaries of the new Assembly Constituencies will differ from those of the parliamentary constituencies until coterminosity is restored at the date of the next General Election. I understand that an equivalent order for parliamentary constituencies in England will be laid in due course and much of the following reply applies equally to such constituencies.
	ONS have geographical referencing systems that underpin the production of statistics for a range of UK statistical geographies. A range of constitution lists, look-up tables and digital boundaries are routinely updated to reflect boundary changes and are used to produce statistics for changed areas.
	We are publishing annual electoral registration statistics for local authorities and parliamentary constituencies on 22 February 2007. These tables are on existing boundaries.
	A number of statistics from the 2001 Census are published for parliamentary constituencies. ONS is reviewing the most appropriate manner in which 2001 Census data could be provided for new constituencies for the UK Parliament in both England and Wales when the boundaries for England are finalised. The amount of data produced from the 2001 Census for the new Welsh Assembly constituencies (that will share boundaries with parliamentary constituencies at the next general election), and the timing of its release, will depend on available resources and the priority of other Census outputs.

Defence: Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of GDP the total amount of defence expenditure represented excluding military operations in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The MOD'S annual report and accounts sets out the level of the Defence budget as well as the additional cost of military operations in each of those years. Annual GDP deflators can be found on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/gdp_deflators/data_gdp_fig.cfm

Departmental Manpower

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what change in the number of employees in each  (a) region and  (b) county there has been for his Department, its agencies and public bodies, in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06; what percentage of the total change was accounted for by each (A) region and (B) county; and what share of total employment in each (1) region and (2) county his Department's employees represented at (y) 1 April 2004 and (z) 31 March 2006.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what change in the number of employees in each region and county there has been for the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Department, its agencies and public bodies, in each of 2004-05 and 2005-06; what percentage of the total change was accounted for by each region and county; and what share of total employment in each region and county his Department's employees represented at (a) 1st April 2004 and (b) 31st March 2006. I am replying in her absence. (119421)
	Civil Service employment statistics by region are published annually, broken down by government department, in the Civil Service Statistics report on the Cabinet Office website. The latest publication is for 1 April 2005.
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls
	Regional statistics for Non-Departmental Public Bodies are not held centrally.
	Statistics have been provided as follows:
	i) Full-Time Equivalent permanent employment for the Chancellor's departments and agencies broken down by Government Office for the Regions for 1 April 2004 and 1 April 2005, together with the change between the two years.
	ii) For those departments and agencies for which more detailed statistics are available centrally, a breakdown by Administrative Area on a comparable basis has also been provided for the same two years. Small area statistics are not available for all Chancellor's departments.
	iii) For comparison purposes, total employment by region has been sourced from the Labour Force Survey. Please note that these statistics are headcounts and not Full Time Equivalents.
	
		
			  Regional distribution of permanent staff, non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2005 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   London and South East  
			  Departments and their agencies  London  South East  Total London and South East  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			  Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 1,060 0 1,060 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 80 0 80 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Office of Government Commerce 
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 190 0 190 0 0 10 0 0 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 30 0 30 0 0 140 0 * 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 220 0 220 0 0 160 0 * 
			 Government Actuary's Department 110 0 110 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 5,550 3,960 9,510 790 1,240 3,150 490 1,150 
			  
			  Inland Revenue 
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 6,750 6,650 13,400 3,880 4,630 11,700 12,630 5,540 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 850 730 1,570 490 460 580 210 540 
			 Inland Revenue total 7,590 7,380 14,980 4,360 5,090 12,280 12,840 6,080 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 110 0 110 0 0 * * 0 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 870 760 1,640 0 0 820 0 0 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) * 0 * 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 15,590 12,100 27,710 5,150 6,330 16,410 13,330 7,230 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Departments and their agencies  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Unreported and elsewhere  All regions 
			  Treasury
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,060 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 80 
			 
			  Office of Government Commerce
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 0 150 0 10 0 20 380 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 80 0 0 0 0 260 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 0 230 0 10 0 20 640 
			 Government Actuary's Department 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 860 3,510 680 1,290 710 50 23,420 
			 
			  Inland Revenue
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 4,160 3,270 4,040 8,700 1,790 20 73,750 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 320 360 310 80 0 * 4,910 
			 Inland Revenue total 4,480 3,620 4,350 8,780 1,790 20 78,660 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 0 0 0 * 0 0 120 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 0 0 1,260 0 0 0 3,720 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) 0 0 730 0 0 0 730 
			 Total 5,340 7,360 7,020 10,080 2,500 90 108,540 
			 (1) Executive agencies. (2) Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Inland Revenue figure excludes the Valuation Office Agency which is a free standing agency. (3) Trading funds.  Notes: 1. FTE = full-time equivalents, with part-time staff counted as a proportion of full-time hours worked. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate and departmental returns. 
		
	
	
		
			  Regional distribution of permanent staff, non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2004 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   London and South East  
			  Departments and their agencies  London  South East  Total London and South East  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			  Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 1,030 0 1,030 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 80 0 80 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Office of Government Commerce 
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 180 0 180 0 0 0 0 20 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 30 0 30 0 0 140 0 0 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 210 0 210 0 0 140 0 20 
			 Government Actuary's Department 100 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 5,510 3,610 9,120 800 1,150 2,880 480 1,080 
			  
			  Inland Revenue 
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 6,960 6,830 13,800 3,950 4,670 12,220 13,060 5,440 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 830 760 1,590 470 410 580 190 530 
			 Inland Revenue total 7,790 7,600 15,390 4,420 5,080 12,790 13,240 5,970 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 100 0 100 0 0 * * 0 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 860 740 1,600 0 0 680 0 0 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) * 0 * 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 15,680 11,950 27,630 5,220 6,230 16,490 13,720 7,070 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Departments and their agencies  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Unreported and elsewhere  All regions 
			  Treasury
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,030 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 80 
			 
			  Office of Government Commerce
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 0 150 0 10 0 20 370 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 70 0 0 0 0 240 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 0 220 0 10 0 20 620 
			 Government Actuary's Department 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 810 3,490 590 1,240 670 270 22,590 
			 
			  Inland Revenue
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 4,190 3,430 4,260 8,500 1,800 * 75,320 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 290 340 310 90 0 0 4,790 
			 Inland Revenue total 4,480 3,770 4,570 8,580 1,800 * 80,110 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 0 0 0 * 0 0 110 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 0 0 1,170 0 0 0 3,450 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) 0 0 770 0 0 0 770 
			 Total 5,290 7,480 7,100 9,830 2,470 290 108,860 
			 (1) Executive agencies. (2) Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Inland Revenue figure excludes the Valuation Office Agency which is a free standing agency. (3) Trading funds.  Notes: 1. FTE = full-time equivalents, with part-time staff counted as a proportion of full-time hours worked. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate and departmental returns. 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-industrial and industrial staff, change between 1 April 2004 and 1 April 2005 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   London and South East  
			  Departments and their agencies  London  South East  Total London and South East  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			  Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 30 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Office of Government Commerce 
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 -20 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 * 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 10 0 10 0 0 20 0 * 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Government Actuary's Department 40 350 390 -10 90 270 10 70 
			  
			  Inland Revenue 
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) -210 -180 -400 -70 -40 -520 -430 100 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 20 -30 -20 20 50 0 20 10 
			 Inland Revenue total -200 -220 -410 -60 10 -510 -400 110 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 10 0 10 0 0 * * 0 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 10 20 40 0 0 140 0 0 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) * 0 * 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total -90 150 80 -70 100 -80 -390 160 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Departments and their agencies  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Unreported and elsewhere  All regions 
			  Treasury
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 
			  Office of Government Commerce
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 10 0 0 0 0 20 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 0 10 0 0 0 0 20 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 
			 Government Actuary's Department 50 20 90 50 40 -220 830 
			 
			  Inland Revenue
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) -30 -160 -220 200 -10 * -1,570 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 30 20 0 -10 0 * 120 
			 Inland Revenue total 0 -150 -220 200 -10 * -1,450 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 0 0 0 * 0 0 10 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 0 0 90 0 0 0 270 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) 0 0 -40 0 0 0 -40 
			 Total 50 -120 -80 250 30 -200 -320 
			 (1) Executive agencies. (2) Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Inland Revenue figure excludes the Valuation Office Agency which is a free standing agency. (3) Trading funds.  Notes: 1. Calculations of change are based on published rounded figures. 2. Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*". 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2005 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Administrative area  GAD  HM Treasury  Inland Revenue  Royal Mint  Valuation Office  ONS 
			 Greater London 110 1,060 6,750 * 850 870 
			 Greater Manchester — — 3,920 — 220 — 
			 Merseyside — — 4,010 — 100 820 
			 South Yorkshire — — 740 — 90 — 
			 Tyne and Wear — — 10,910 — 100 — 
			 West Midlands — — 2,560 — 260 — 
			 West Yorkshire — — 3,800 — 290 — 
			 Bedfordshire — — 360 — 40 — 
			 Berkshire — — 420 — 60 — 
			 Buckinghamshire — — 370 — 50 — 
			 Cambridgeshire — — 730 — 70 — 
			 Cheshire — — 380 — 80 — 
			 Cornwall — — 650 — 40 — 
			 Cumbria — — 290 — 60 — 
			 Derbyshire — — 420 — 70 — 
			 Devon — — 810 — 150 — 
			 Dorset — — 540 — 60 — 
			 Durham — — 780 — 60 — 
			 East Sussex — — 480 — 50 — 
			 Essex — — 780 — 130 — 
			 Gloucestershire — — 310 — 60 — 
			 Hampshire — — 1,640 — 130 760 
			 Hereford and Worcester — — 380 — 90 — 
			 Hertfordshire — — 610 — 60 — 
			 Kent — — 930 — 110 — 
			 Lancashire — — 3,100 — 120 — 
			 Leicestershire — — 920 — 60 — 
			 Lincolnshire — — 460 — 50 — 
			 Norfolk — — 580 — 60 — 
			 Northamptonshire — — 380 — 50 — 
			 Northumberland — — 100 — 20 — 
			 North Yorkshire — — 240 — 40 — 
			 Nottinghamshire — — 1,980 — 90 — 
			 Oxfordshire — — 220 — 50 — 
			 Shropshire — — 980 — 40 — 
			 Somerset — — 400 — 60 — 
			 Staffordshire — — 540 — 70 — 
			 Suffolk — — 400 — 50 — 
			 Surrey — — 810 — 90 — 
			 Warwickshire — — 170 — — — 
			 West Sussex — — 1,510 — 140 — 
			 Wiltshire — — 250 — 40 — 
			 Scotland — — 8,700 — 80 — 
			 Wales — — 4,040 730 310 1,260 
			 Northern Ireland — — 1,790 — — — 
			 Other Unitary Authorities — — 2,580 — 220 — 
			 Not known — — 20 — * — 
			 Total 110 1,060 73,750 730 4,910 3,720 
			  Note: Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate. 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2004 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Administrative area  GAD  HM Treasury  Inland Revenue  Royal Mint  Valuation Office  ONS 
			 Greater London 100 1,030 6,960 * 830 860 
			 Greater Manchester — — 3,980 — 220 — 
			 Merseyside — — 4,180 — 100 680 
			 South Yorkshire — — 760 — 90 — 
			 Tyne and Wear — — 11,240 — 90 — 
			 West Midlands — — 2,530 — 240 — 
			 West Yorkshire — — 3,630 — 290 — 
			 Bedfordshire — — 380 — 40 — 
			 Berkshire — — 420 — 70 — 
			 Buckinghamshire — — 400 — 60 — 
			 Cambridgeshire — — 780 — 60 — 
			 Cheshire — — 390 — 80 — 
			 Cornwall — — 690 — 40 — 
			 Cumbria — — 300 — 50 — 
			 Derbyshire — — 420 — 60 — 
			 Devon — — 850 — 130 — 
			 Dorset — — 460 — 60 — 
			 Durham — — 840 — 50 — 
			 East Sussex — — 500 — 60 — 
			 Essex — — 790 — 120 — 
			 Gloucestershire — — 330 — 60 — 
			 Hampshire — — 1,670 — 140 740 
			 Hereford and Worcester — — 380 — 80 — 
			 Hertfordshire — — 640 — 60 — 
			 Kent — — 1,000 — 120 — 
			 Lancashire — — 3,370 — 120 — 
			 Leicestershire — — 890 — 60 — 
			 Lincolnshire — — 480 — 40 — 
			 Norfolk — — 620 — 60 — 
			 Northamptonshire — — 380 — 50 — 
			 Northumberland — — 120 — 20 — 
			 North Yorkshire — — 260 — 40 — 
			 Nottinghamshire — — 2,020 — 80 — 
			 Oxfordshire — — 220 — 50 — 
			 Shropshire — — 990 — 30 — 
			 Somerset — — 420 — 70 — 
			 Staffordshire — — 560 — 60 — 
			 Suffolk — — 410 — 50 — 
			 Surrey — — 850 — 80 — 
			 Warwickshire — — 210 —  — 
			 West Sussex — — 1,510 — 140 — 
			 Wiltshire — — 270 — 40 — 
			 Scotland — — 8,500 — 90 — 
			 Wales — — 4,260 770 310 1,170 
			 Northern Ireland — — 1 ,800 — — — 
			 Other Unitary Authorities — — 2,650 — 210 — 
			 Not known — — * — — — 
			 Total 100 1,030 75,320 770 4,790 3,450 
			  Note: Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate. 
		
	
	
		
			  Labour Force Survey, in Employment 
			  Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			   London  South East (excluding London)  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East 
			   YCJV  YCJW  YCJX  YCJT  YCJQ  YCJP 
			  March 2004  3,547  4,034  2,448  2,464  3,139  1,114 
			  March 2005  3,570  4,069  2,470  2,525  3,172  1,121 
		
	
	
		
			  Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			   Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland 
			  YCJR YCJS YCJU YCJZ YCKA ZSFG 
			 March 2004 2,351 2,061 2,740 1,326 2,423 721 
			 March 2005 2,362 2,083 2,735 1,317 2,451 741

EU Membership Studies

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the studies undertaken by his Department on the costs and benefits of EU membership; how many were  (a) begun,  (b) completed and  (c) terminated before completion; and what the reason was for the termination of each which was terminated early.

Edward Balls: My answer of 25 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1909W, gave details of the Treasury's work on this issue.
	The Government's January 2007 publication 'The Single Market: A vision for the 21st century' sets out the economic benefits of the single market, the costs of remaining barriers and the importance of economic reform and greater openness.

Marriage

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which religions and other groups' representatives are empowered to perform marriages; what the process is for such empowerment; what account is taken of human rights legislation on discrimination in this process; and what representations he has received on this subject.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking which religions and other groups' representatives are empowered to perform marriages; what the process is for such empowerment; what account is taken of human rights legislation on discrimination in this process; and what representations have been received on this subject. I am replying in her absence. (119004)
	The Marriage Act 1949 provides for civil and religious marriages. Separate arrangements apply to marriages according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, Jews and the Society of Friends. Marriages according to the rites and ceremonies of all other religions may take place in a registered building that is principally used by a congregation meeting for religious worship and is certified to the Registrar General as a place of religious worship. A building is registered for marriages by the Registrar General on application by the proprietor or trustee of the building.
	The application has to be accompanied by a certificate signed by at least twenty householders that the building is their usual place of public religious worship. When a building has been registered for marriages, it may be used for the solemnisation of marriages according to religious rites and ceremonies. For the first year, marriages are attended and registered by a registrar. After that first year, the trustees or governing body may authorise a person from within the congregation to act as registrar and notify the Registrar General, who will then issue that person with marriage registers and certificates, providing she is satisfied as to the safe custody of those registers.
	Provision is also made for a religious marriage by a person who is housebound, detained or seriously ill and not expected to recover.
	The Government does not consider the Marriage Act 1949 to be incompatible with the Human Rights Act. It is therefore not appropriate to take separate account of human rights legislation in this process. The Registrar General has occasionally received representations in respect of specific applications.

Mortality Statistics

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 232W, on mortality statistics, how many people died as a result of a stroke in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2006 in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

National Debt

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the oldest remaining national debt is in terms of foreign loans.

Edward Balls: Currently the only foreign currency liability on the UK's balance sheet is a $3 billion five-year eurobond issued by the UK government in 2003. The eurobond was issued in order to finance our foreign currency reserves. This liability is accounted for (along with the amounts for the world war two debts to Canada and the United States that were repaid in December 2006) in the National Loans Fund Account (Note 13). The latest published version, HC 1632, can be found at:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/05-06/05061652.pdf.
	At the end of world war one, debt was owed to and by the United Kingdom. No payments have been made to or received from other nations since 1934 in regard to this debt. For this reason, liabilities and assets arising from WW1 have not been listed on the UK Government's balance sheet since 1944-45.

Small Business

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there has been any change by HM Revenue and Customs regarding individual members of the public seeking on site advice and support services available from the small business support team.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 31 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 341-2W.

Smith Institute

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, 
	(1)  how many events were held by each charity listed on the Treasury website at Number 11 Downing Street in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many charities had a request for access to facilities at Number 11 Downing Street on a specified date rejected in each year since 1997.

John Healey: For the list of charities who have held events in Number 11 Downing Street, I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman and others on 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W. Most charities have used Number 11 on one occasion, but some more than once.
	Wherever possible, and subject to availability, we do try and accommodate all charities who apply to use Number 11.

Smith Institute

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, how many Smith Institute events were held at Number 11 Downing Street between 1997 and 2005.

John Healey: As I explained in my answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W, the Smith Institute was set up in the memory of the late John Smith. It asked in 1997 to use the facility for seminars on a once a month basis and sometimes, when they are conducting a series of seminars, on a more regular basis.

Smith Institute

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, 
	(1)  what criteria are used for determining which charities are granted access to facilities at Number 11 Downing Street;
	(2)  how much the Smith Institute has reimbursed to his Department for functions held at Number 11 Downing Street in each year since 1997.

John Healey: I refer to the answer I gave on 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W. Any charities who use or want to use 11 Downing Street can apply for access if this is their wish and subject to availability. This is fully in accordance with the Ministerial Code and long standing conventions governing the use of Downing Street as operated by this and previous Governments.
	Every external organisation including the Smith Institute who uses Number 11 does so on the same basis: the organisers of events at Number 11 meet all additional costs associated with holding the event in order to ensure that no public funds are used for events held by external organisations.

Smuggling: Fuels

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many illegal fuel laundering plants were estimated to be operating in Northern Ireland during 2006; and how many were uncovered in that period.

John Healey: HMRC's priority is to respond to every piece of intelligence received regarding the operation of an illicit fuel laundering plant through interdiction. The HMRC Annual Report 2005-06 reports that 16 fuel laundering plants were disrupted in Northern Ireland during 2005-06.
	The 2006-07 figures will be published in the Annual Report later this year. Estimates of the size of the non UK duty paid market in Northern Ireland can be found in 'Measuring Indirect Tax Loss'—2006 which was published at the PBR and is available on the HMRC website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk

Tax Burden

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross annual income was taken in tax and national insurance contributions for each decile of the taxable income distribution in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what proportion of gross annual income was taken in tax and national insurance contributions for each decile of the taxable income distribution in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 1997.1 am replying in her absence. (119388).
	Estimates of income tax and national insurance payments by income decile appear in the ONS analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'. The latest analysis for 2004/05 was published on the National Statistics website on 12th May 2006 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. The analysis is based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 7,000 households in the UK.
	The tables below show the average annual payment of income tax and national insurance contributions expressed as a percentage of gross household income, for household in each income decile. The income deciles are based on a ranking of households using equivalised disposable household income (rather than taxable income). This is the standard measure of income used for distributional analysis.
	The percentages are reasonably comparable over time. The figures in the annual analysis are not deflated or expressed in real terms because the main focus of interest is in the income distribution and how this distribution changes over time. However, even if the figures used to calculate the percentages appearing below were adjusted for average price changes using the Retail Prices Index, the percentages would be the same, since both gross household income, and tax payments would be adjusted by the same factor.
	There was a change to the way that tax credits were treated from 2003/04 onwards, which has some effect on the estimates of income tax payment. Up until 2002/03 tax credits were treated as cash benefits.
	From 2003/04, they are classified as negative income tax, but only to the extent that income tax less tax credits, remains greater than or equal to zero for each family.
	So for households paying relatively little or no income tax, tax credit payments were still regarded either partially or wholly, as cash benefits. Based on figures for 2003/04, the effect of this change is to reduce the estimate of income tax as a proportion of gross income by 0.4%.
	The percentage payments reflect both the number of households paying each tax, and the size of the payments. Since the results are based on a sample survey, some of the year to year movement is due to sampling variability, however the tables do illustrate longer term trends in the distribution of tax payments.
	
		
			  Average income tax as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom, 1997-98 to 2004-05 
			   Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income  Percentage 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top  All households 
			 1997-98 3.9 4.0 5.1 7.5 10.1 11.8 13.6 15.1 16.2 19.9 14.1 
			 1998-99 3.4 3.9 4.8 7.3 9.4 11.2 12.4 13.8 15.3 19.8 13.5 
			 1999-2000 2.8 3.4 4.9 7.4 9.3 10.7 12.6 14.0 15.5 19.1 13.4 
			 2000-01 3.2 3.9 6.2 8.1 10.0 11.6 13.4 14.4 16.0 18.7 13.7 
			 2001-02 3.3 3.1 5.2 8.3 9.4 11.0 12.9 14.1 15.9 19.8 13.8 
			 2002-03 2.6 4.1 4.7 7.5 9.4 11.0 12.6 14.1 15.6 20.0 13.5 
			 2003-04(1) 3.5 3.1 4.8 6.8 8.9 10.8 12.7 14.1 15.6 19.9 13.5 
			 2004-05 2.3 3.5 5.2 7.0 9.1 10.6 12.3 13.9 15.8 19.7 13.3 
			 1 From 2003-04 onwards, income tax is shown after the deduction of any tax credits, which offset payments of income tax. Before 2002-03 tax credits treated wholly as social security benefits.  Source: 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household Income', ONS 
		
	
	
		
			  National insurance contributions as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom. 1997-98 to 2004-05 
			   Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income  Percentage 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top  All households 
			 1997-98 1.2 1.7 2.1 3.1 4.1 4.7 5.0 5.3 5.3 3.6 42 
			 1998-99 1.5 1.8 2.2 3.4 4.1 4.6 5.1 5.4 5.2 3.5 4.2 
			 1999-2000 1.3 1.6 2.2 3.2 3.8 4.5 4.8 5.0 5.2 3.1 3.9 
			 2000-01 1.2 1.6 2.3 2.9 3.9 4.4 4.9 4.9 4.8 3.2 3.8 
			 2001-02 1.2 1.2 2.0 2.7 3.7 4.2 4.6 5.0 5.1 3.2 3.8 
			 2002-03 1.0 1.5 1.9 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.6 4.8 4.7 3.4 3.8 
			 2003-04 1.2 1.6 2.3 3.3 4.1 4.8 5.1 5.5 5.5 4.1 4.4 
			 2004-05 1.1 1.8 2.7 3.3 4.3 4.8 5.2 5.6 5.9 4.2 4.5 
			  Source: 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household Income', ONS 
		
	
	
		
			  Income tax and national insurance contributions as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom. 1997-98 to 2004-05 
			   Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income  Percentage 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top  All households 
			 1997-98 5.2 5.7 7.3 10.5 14.2 16.5 18.6 20.3 21.5 23.5 18.3 
			 1998-99 4.9 5.7 7.0 10.6 13.5 15.8 17.6 19.2 20.6 23.3 17.7 
			 1999-2000 4.1 5.0 7.1 10.6 13.2 15.2 17.4 19.0 20.6 22.3 17.3 
			 2000-01 4.4 5.5 8.5 11.0 13.9 16.0 18.2 19.3 20.8 22.0 17.5 
			 2001-02 4.5 4.3 7.2 11.0 13.1 15.2 17.5 19.1 21.0 23.0 17.6 
			 2002-03 3.6 5.7 6.7 10.5 13.0 15.0 17.2 18.9 20.3 23.4 17.3 
			 2003-04(1) 4.7 4.6 7.1 10.1 12.9 15.6 17.8 19.6 21.1 24.0 17.8 
			 2004-05 3.4 5.3 7.9 10.3 13.4 15.4 17.4 19.6 21.8 23.8 17.8 
			 (1) From 2003-04 onwards, income tax is shown after the deduction of any tax credits, which offset payments of income tax. Before 2002-03 tax credits treated wholly as social security benefits. Source: 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income', ONS

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many HM Revenue and Customs employees are being prosecuted for tax credit fraud; how many were prosecuted for such fraud since the tax credit scheme began; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many HM Revenue and Customs staff have received prison sentences for committing tax credit fraud since the tax credit scheme began; what the total amount of fraud was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Since the introduction of the tax credit scheme, three HMRC employees have been prosecuted for tax credit fraud, and three cases are currently in the process of being prosecuted. Of the three prosecuted, two have received immediate custodial sentences of 30 months and 20 months respectively. The total amount of the fraud in each case was approximately £147,000 and £96,000. The third prosecution for tax credit fraud of £2,300 resulted in a four months custodial sentence suspended for two years and 150 hours community punishment.

Terrorism

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's planned expenditure on counter-terrorism is for 2007-08.

Edward Balls: The Treasury's estimated expenditure on counter-terrorism in 2007-08 is £2.3 million. This includes staff costs on related policy development and the Treasury's contribution to enhanced security measures in Whitehall.

VAT: Home Education

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs was notified by the European Court of Justice of the Werner Haderer referral; and whether HM Revenue and Customs made representations in response to this notification.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs was notified of the Werner Haderer referral on 1 February 2006, and made no representations in response to this notification.

Street Markets

Ann Coffey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of local street markets.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government recognises the valuable contribution that street markets can make to local choice and diversity in shopping, and the vitality of town centres, but it is for local authorities to decide how they achieve that local choice and diversity, taking account of the national policy framework.
	To support and develop the role of street markets, national planning policy, in "Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres" (PPS6), asks local authorities to consider markets as an integral part of the vision for their town centres, and to seek to retain and enhance existing markets and, where appropriate, re-introduce or create new ones. Local authorities are encouraged to ensure that their markets remain attractive and competitive by investing in their improvement.
	PPS6 asks local authorities to assess the need for retail development, as a context for planning for town centres, and to ensure that there are sites available to provide for this need. We would expect local authorities to take account of the role of street markets in carrying out this assessment.
	Planning policy does not specifically promote street markets as part of out-of-town developments. PPS6 promotes policies which will support the vitality and viability of existing town centres. But local authorities are encourage to plan more widely for people's day-to-day needs and to seek to remedy deficiencies in local shopping and other facilities where appropriate, working with local communities and stakeholders. This could include promoting local street markets.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the purpose was of the grant in aid arts awards made to the BBC in 2005-06; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: In 2005-06, Arts Council England awarded a total of £269,040 to the BBC from its grant in aid funding. The majority of this was for the Roots project, aimed at raising the profile of arts and artists from culturally diverse backgrounds, profiling new artists and encouraging participation from BBC local radio audiences and wider communities. More details of the individual awards are in the table.
	
		
			  BBC client  Title  Summary  Amount (£) 
			 BBC Pebblemill Roots Eleven cultural workers based in BBC local radio stations in England. Developing Black and Minority Ethnic talent producing and researching pieces for BBC programmes and supporting diverse arts events within communities. 199,000 
			 BBC Open Tales Researching and creating digital storytelling pieces with several Creative Partnerships Coventry schools. 25,000 
			 BBC Radio Kent Arts Audiences Coordinator Developing audiences for contemporary arts and culture within the BBC Radio Kent broadcast area. 15,000 
			 BBC Sheffield Trimedia Test Station A pilot partnership project to produce radio, video and web content with young reporters aged 14-17. 13,500 
			 BBC Hull Exploring Multi-Media Rich English Investigating views of young people, teachers and creative practitioners as they participate in creative learning through the added value of an intense multi media rich English curriculum. To build capacity of schools and teacher to work effectively and creatively. 11,000 
			 BBC East Every Picture Tells a Story A collaboration exploring questions about children's understanding of the media and what children learn from visual representation of themselves and their world. 3,540 
			 BBC Home Service Roots Leicestershire The continuation of Roots work in Leicestershire until March 2006. 2,000

British Antarctic Survey: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the purpose was of the grant in aid arts award of £10,000 to the British Antarctic Survey; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: Arts Council England provides a grant of £10,000 (which increased to £12,000 this year) annually to the British Antarctic Survey to cover a stipend award to the artists participating in the Artists and Writers in Antarctica Programme. The aim of this BAS programme is to raise awareness and understanding of the extensive scientific research it undertakes in Antarctica. This award covers the costs of travel to and from the Falklands, accommodation, medical examinations and support for the artists towards exhibitions and outreach work.

Casino Advisory Panel

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in which locations the Casino Advisory Panel held its last five meetings.

Richard Caborn: The information requested is provided in the minutes of the relevant Casino Advisory Panel meetings, which are available on the panel's website (www.culture.gov.uk/cap/). The locations for the meetings were as follows:
	
		
			   Location 
			 29 August 2006 London 
			 25 September 2006 London 
			 8 November 2006 Rye(1) 
			 6 December 2006 Manchester(2) 
			 19 January 2007 London 
			 (1) Meeting continued on 15 November 2006 in Manchester. (2) Meeting continued on 8 December 2006 at the Birmingham NEC.

Casinos: Construction

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department has taken to ensure that newly proposed casinos are constructed in an environmentally friendly manner.

Richard Caborn: Any new casino development will be required to comply with relevant planning and building regulations, including those designed to protect the environment.

Cultural Heritage: Grants

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money has been spent on  (a) libraries,  (b) archives and  (c) museums and galleries in each year since 1997, broken down into grant in aid and lottery funding.

David Lammy: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The information is in the following tables:
	
		
			  Grant in aid( 1, 2) 
			  £ million 
			   Museums and Galleries( 3)  Libraries( 4)  Archives( 4, 5) 
			 1997-98 216.7 106.7 1.0 
			 1998-99 211.2 90.6 1.0 
			 1999-2000 215.3 113.3 1.1 
			 2000-01 227.5 105.8 1.2 
			 2001-02 239.7 122.6 1.3 
			 2002-03 265.8 123.9 1.4 
			 2003-04 279.9 129.4 0.1 
			 2004-05 283.2 138.7 0.1 
			 2005-06 344.3 112.1 0.1 
			 (1) Museums, Libraries and Archives Council spend that cannot be directly attributed to one of the three domains is excluded from the table. (2) The table does not include Local Government public expenditure on the three domains. (3) Arts Council England also provides some funding for galleries. However these figures are not held in the format required. (4 )The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) does not record data separately for libraries and archives and hence these figures are excluded In total, the NHMF has awarded £8.3 million to libraries and archives between 1997 and 2006. (5) The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts became part of The National Archives from 1 April 2003, reporting to Ministers in the Department for Constitutional Affairs. 
		
	
	
		
			  Lottery awards 
			  £ million 
			   Museums and Galleries( 1, 2, 3)  Libraries and archives(  2, 3, 4) 
			 1997-98 117.2 12.3 
			 1998-99 116.9 29.2 
			 1999-2000 79.4 13.4 
			 2000-01 78.3 31.9 
			 2001-02 90.6 35.5 
			 2002-03 99.9 75.8 
			 2003-04 93.7 86.6 
			 2004-05 121.4 48.5 
			 2005-06 103.8 13.4 
			 (1) Arts Council England also provides some funding for galleries. However these figures are not held in the format required. (2) The Millennium Commission also provided funding for museums and galleries, libraries and archives. However these figures are not available in the format required. (3) Heritage Lottery Fund, New Opportunities Fund and Big Lottery Fund programmes, where spend can be directly attributed to these three domains (museums, libraries and archives) is included. (4 )The Heritage Lottery Fund does not record data separately for libraries and archives.

Digital Broadcasting

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what basis her Department calculated that £600 million will be needed from the licence fee for digital switch-over; and if she will place the calculations in the Library.

Shaun Woodward: holding answer 5 February 2007
	DCMS has developed a model for costing the digital switchover help scheme with the BBC and HMT. The costings make a number of assumptions including: household growth for people over 75; DWP forecasts of numbers receiving underlying benefits; equipment costs; level of help required and scheme take up rates.
	This information is currently commercially confidential but a paper will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses once all the necessary contractual arrangements for the delivery of the help scheme have been finalised.

Digital Broadcasting: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provisions have been made to facilitate digital switchover in Eastbourne.

Shaun Woodward: Currently, the vast majority of households in the constituency should be able to receive digital TV services via either digital satellite or digital terrestrial (Freeview).
	Ofcom estimate that from switchover (which will take place during 2012 for the region), coverage of digital terrestrial television will be increased to match substantially that currently achieved by analogue services (this is taken to equate to 98.5 per cent. of UK households).

Digital Broadcasting: Shropshire

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) television and (b) radio coverage is provided by each transmitter in Shropshire; and when each is planned to be upgraded to digital.

Shaun Woodward: This is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Football: Sportsgrounds

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the merits of introducing small, limited sections of safe standing areas at football grounds; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: My Department considers all new evidence about the safety of spectators in sports grounds including any relating to the all-seater requirement. No new evidence has been presented to suggest that there is a single more effective way of achieving safety as well as public order than all seater stadia. The Government therefore remains fully committed to the current policy.
	The football authorities have also made it clear they have no wish to re-introduce any standing areas at grounds in the top two divisions.

Gambling: International Summit

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the recent international summit on remote gambling cost; and if she will place details of the costs incurred in the Library.

Richard Caborn: The total cost of the International Summit on Remote Gambling was £50,576, covering the venue, catering, technical and production facilities, interpreters, delegate materials and event management.

Golf: Royal Parks

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the proposals to end the provision of golf in Regent's park; what process the Royal Parks adopted before GOALS were appointed; when she last met the chief executive officer of the Royal Parks; and what consultation was undertaken before the change of use from golf to football in Regent's park.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received representations from local residents, hon. Members, the Friends of Regent's park and Primrose Hill and users of the golf and tennis school.
	Following a consultation process and development of a sports masterplan, The Royal Parks tendered the contract for a new sports facility in accordance with standard government procurement procedures.
	My right hon. Friend has not met the chief executive of the Royal Parks recently. However, I met Mark Camley, the chief executive of the Royal Parks, on 17 January 2007.
	In 2002 the Royal Parks consulted individuals and organisations regarding the Regent's Park Sports Strategy, which included the proposal to relocate the sports facility on the golf and tennis school site. An outline proposal establishing the physical parameters of a new facility and the suggested provision of sports was submitted to Westminster city council for planning permission in August 2004. This was subjected to full public consultation. Park users were also consulted between the end of September and 17 November 2006 about the additional sports that could be made available at the new site. As the proposal has now been submitted for planning permission there will be a further opportunity for individuals to comment on the new facility.

Licensing Laws: Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  pursuant to the Report of the Independent Fees Review Panel, whether she plans to introduce a licence fee for community amateur sports clubs based on 20 per cent. of their rateable value;
	(2)  what the estimated costs to local authorities would be of setting a licence fee for community amateur sports clubs based on 20 per cent. of their rateable value;
	(3)  how many sports clubs she estimates fall outside rate bands A and B;
	(4)  what estimate she has made of the total annual cost of licence fees to  (a) sports clubs and  (b) community amateur sports clubs.

Shaun Woodward: DCMS has made no detailed estimate of the number of sports clubs falling outside of bands A and B, or the total annual cost of the licensing fees regime to sports clubs and community amateur sports clubs. However, as part of their terms of reference, the Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel was asked to identify how the fees regime could be developed to address the impact of the structure of the fee scales on community amateur sports clubs.
	The panel's final report was placed in the Libraries of the House on 25 January. We are currently assessing the implications of all the panel's detailed conclusions and recommendations, including those relating to sports clubs, and will provide a full response shortly. During the panel's review, we understand that the Central Council of Physical Recreation proposed to the panel that fees should be calculated by introducing a system whereby all clubs in the Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASC) scheme could have their licence fee calculated at 20 per cent. of their rateable value. The panel was not inclined to recommend in favour of this proposal. Before reaching a final decision about implementing any changes to the fees regime and related issues, we will undertake a public consultation. Such a consultation would be informed by a regulatory impact assessment which would include estimates of any cost of any proposal to local authorities and to the sector affected.

Lilleshall National Sports Academy

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with Sport England on the future of Lilleshall National Sports Academy.

Richard Caborn: None. We receive regular written updates from Sport England on its review of the future of the National Sports Centres, including Lilleshall. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 108W.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff are employed by the Olympic Delivery Authority  (a) in total,  (b) in each division and  (c) in the finance department; and at what cost; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: As at 5 February 2007 the Olympic Delivery Authority employs 90 permanent employees, 24 seconded employees and three fixed term employees. The breakdown of employees is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Chief Executive's Office 2 
			 Chairman's Office 1 
			 Communications 12 
			 Construction 3 
			 Design and Regeneration 16 
			 Development Control 7 
			 Finance 9 
			 Health and Safety 2 
			 Human Resources 6 
			 Infrastructure and Utilities 5 
			 IT 2 
			 Legal 10 
			 Programme Assurance Office 1 
			 Procurement 5 
			 Property 5 
			 Risk and Audit 1 
			 Security 3 
			 Transport 27 
		
	
	Additionally, there are 21 board and committee members. In addition the Olympic Delivery Authority currently employs 74 temporary/interim staff.
	The total amount that has been paid to date to employees and board and Committee Members on the Olympic Delivery Authority payroll is £5,043,330. This is inclusive of all wage related costs such as pension contributions, national insurance, tax, etcetera and is the figure from 1 April 2006 to 31 January 2007.

Olympic Games: Sports Competitors

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of UK Olympic medallists at  (a) Sydney and  (b) Athens who were (i) wholly and (ii) partially educated at independent schools.

Richard Caborn: No estimate has been made of the British Olympic medal winners who were wholly or partially educated at independent schools in  (a) Sydney or  (b) Athens.

Olympic Games: Training

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress her Department has made with the Home Office on the training of Olympic target pistol shooters; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Home Office have met with representatives of the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation and the British Olympic Association to discuss the impact the current firearms legislation places upon our elite shooters. The Home Office are still considering the issues raised and no final decisions have yet been taken.

Television: Broadcasting Reception

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the role of Ofcom is in circumstances where an existing television signal is lost or badly impaired due to new construction.

Shaun Woodward: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), as independent regulator for the communications sector. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Television: Subtitles

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with broadcasters the provision of subtitles for every television programme, including repeats available on freeview.

Shaun Woodward: The Communications Act 2003 requires at least 90 per cent. of Channel 3 and Channel 4 programmes to be subtitled by 2010. The BBC has made a commitment to subtitle 100 per cent. of its television programmes from April 2008. The Communications Act requires other broadcasters to subtitle at least 80 per cent. of programmes within 10 years of their subtitling services commencing.
	It falls to Ofcom to ensure that broadcasters meet the requirements contained in the regulator's Code on television access services. Ofcom undertook a review of the Code in 2006, but did not recommend any revisions to the subtitling quotas and the Government have no plans to hold discussions with broadcasters about this issue.
	The Communications Act does not prevent broadcasters from scheduling repeats of subtitled programmes, though Ofcom encourages broadcasters not to fulfil their obligations in this way, as this will detract from the benefit of providing access services to users.

Tourism

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many holiday trips were made to each of the 30 most visited towns and cities in the latest year for which figures are available  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by age group of visitor.

Shaun Woodward: The following tables contain the latest available information on overnight holiday trips to the top 30 visited towns and cities in the UK by overseas and UK residents, respectively. For inbound tourism information on the age of the visitor is also provided, but due to the disproportionate cost involved this is not available for domestic tourism.
	
		
			  Table 1: Holiday visits by overseas residents, 2005 
			Age group of visitor 
			  Top towns/cities  Total visits (Thousand)  0-15  16-24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65+ 
			 London 5,859 439 1,002 1,419 1,108 995 593 302 
			 Edinburgh 648 51 89 139 96 111 99 63 
			 Manchester 141 11 22 33 30 24 15 6 
			 Birmingham 119 19 20 24 17 27 6 7 
			 Glasgow 329 18 49 68 58 48 43 44 
			 Liverpool 107 6 31 25 22 12 6 5 
			 Oxford 153 22 39 22 15 21 25 9 
			 Cambridge 101 9 22 16 15 15 16 7 
			 Bristol 101 4 12 14 12 19 23 17 
			 Brighton and Hove 155 35 32 19 21 22 13 12 
			 Nottingham 49 2 3 16 13 10 3 3 
			 Cardiff 79 14 9 8 8 13 12 15 
			 Bath 149 25 13 15 22 28 31 16 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 65 9 14 12 9 10 7 5 
			 York 135 13 19 16 22 24 27 15 
			 Inverness 180 11 21 36 29 32 33 17 
			 Leeds 26 0 5 8 4 3 1 4 
			 Reading 32 0 3 13 8 4 2 2 
			 Coventry 22 1 — 6 6 2 5 2 
			 Luton 27 1 — 10 9 7 — — 
			 Chester 54 6 5 6 5 12 12 7 
			 Sheffield 24 2 2 9 4 1 4 3 
			 Northampton 27 4 3 6 3 Z 3 5 
			 Leicester 25 1 2 5 3 12 3 1 
			 Exeter 58 5 4 5 7 13 13 11 
			 Southampton 28 1 2 11 3 5 5 2 
			 Bournemouth 45 7 3 5 8 4 11 7 
			 Canterbury 72 6 17 11 13 17 5 4 
			 Aberdeen 55 2 3 10 9 8 15 8 
			 Plymouth 43 6 7 5 6 8 6 6 
			  Source: International Passenger Survey. Holiday visits are where holiday has been stated as the main reason for the visit to the UK. They do not include those to visits friends or relatives or day trips. Many segments on the table provided are supported by very low sample sizes and so some results will be subject to very wide margins of error. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Holiday trips by UK residents. May 2005-April 2006 
			  Top towns/cities  Trips (Thousand) 
			 London 4,884 
			 Blackpool 1,626 
			 Edinburgh 1,365 
			 Manchester 1,286 
			 Scarborough 1,220 
			 Glasgow 1,088 
			 York 1,064 
			 Isle of Wight(1) 992 
			 Skegness 960 
			 Birmingham 951 
			 Bournemouth 860 
			 Bristol 787 
			 Liverpool 734 
			 Great Yarmouth 727 
			 Cardiff 726 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 701 
			 Leeds 660 
			 Brighton and Hove 645 
			 Torquay 587 
			 Nottingham 572 
			 Norwich 458 
			 Sheffield 445 
			 Harrogate 438 
			 Hull 424 
			 Oxford 411 
			 Aberdeen 399 
			 Southampton 376 
			 Portsmouth 356 
			 Cambridge 333 
			 Coventry 201 
			 (1 )For this analysis Isle of Wight is shown as information is not available at a lower level of geography.  Note: Domestic day trips are not included.  Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey

UK School Games

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many independent schools took part in the 2006 UK School Games.

Richard Caborn: The organisation of the UK School Games in 2006 was a matter for the Millennium Commission and the Youth Sport Trust.
	The 2006 UK School Games was not an inter-school competition and therefore there has been no formal assessment of how many independent schools participated.

Voluntary Organisations: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many voluntary organisations in the East of England have received funding from  (a) her Department and  (b) the National Lottery in each of the past five years; and how much each organisation received.

Richard Caborn: The Department funds many voluntary and community organisations via grant in aid through our NDPBs. The number of voluntary organisations supported in the East of England, and the amount concerned, could be determined only at disproportionate cost.
	In addition, voluntary and community organisations are eligible to apply for funding under all the National Lottery good cause programmes. Therefore, many voluntary organisations will have received funding from a range of distributing bodies. According to the Department's National Lottery Grants Database, which uses information supplied by the distributors, more than 10,000 awards with a value of over £353 million have been made in the Eastern region since 1 January 2002. Which have been made to voluntary organisations could be determined only at disproportionate cost.

World Cup

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether a UK bid for the 2018 World Cup will be made on a cross party basis.

Richard Caborn: Bidding to host a future World Cup is not a decision for Government but for the relevant football authorities. The Government study into the feasibility of holding the World Cup in England in 2018 jointly carried out by HM Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is due to be published shortly.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Administration of Justice

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much funding was made available under the pilots delivering simple, speedy summary justice in  (a) Coventry,  (b) West Cumbria,  (c) Thames and  (d) Camberwell; to whom it was provided; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The four pilots were not undertaken with the provision of extra funding. The pilot sites were, however, supported by officials from HM Courts Service and the Office of Criminal Justice reform. Two of the pilot courts received a small amount of funding for equipment which post dated the results of the pilots. Overall the pilots demonstrated significant improvements could be achieved within existing resources, resulting in cases being dealt with more swiftly and efficiently.

Courts: Mental Health Services

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many professionals undertake the preparation of psychiatric reports for use by HM Courts Service throughout the UK; and what the average cost is of each report.

Harriet Harman: Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) does not routinely collect information regarding the number of professionals who undertake the preparation of psychiatric reports; nor does it keep information on the average cost of such reports centrally. Such information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Courts: Mental Health Services

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the waiting time is for a psychiatric report for use by HM Courts Service.

Harriet Harman: Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) does not routinely collect information regarding the time taken for the production of psychiatric reports and such data could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, HMCS is currently piloting a service level agreement agreed between HMCS, HM Prison Service and NHS providers which is looking at ways to improve the timeliness of such reports.

Data Protection

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 350W, on data protection, for what purpose the Information Commissioner is undertaking a review of his guidance on the use of personal information held for the collection and administration of council tax.

Vera Baird: On 26 January, following his review, the Information Commissioner issued updated guidance on the use of personal information held for the collection and administration of council tax. This new guidance is to provide local authorities with up to date and straightforward guidance on their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Family Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether she plans to review the operation of the family justice system.

Harriet Harman: The family justice system is under constant consideration and review including implementation of the recommendations of the recent view of child care proceedings in England and Wales and taking forward the programme of action detailed in the Government's 2005 statement, Parental Separation: Children's Needs and Parent's Responsibilities: Next Steps. The Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 will commence implementation in July 2007, and further specialist domestic violence courts are being established across England and Wales. Implementation of the Children and Adoption Act 2006 will give the courts additional powers to enforce contact orders. The Unified Family Service programme will enable family cases to progress more effectively through the system. I am also considering the responses to two recent consultations on the separate representation of children in family justice and on greater openness in the family courts.
	Taken together, these demonstrate clearly my commitment to improving the family justice system. I intend to make an announcement to the House on the Department's strategy for family justice shortly.

Freedom of Information Requests

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2007,  Official Report, column 689W, on Freedom of Information requests, if her Department will publish guidance for use by public authorities in using their discretion to decide whether a person is acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign.

Vera Baird: My Department will publish comprehensive guidance on any changes to the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations, including on how to exercise discretion in deciding if a person is acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign.

Freedom of Information: Proof of Identity

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department plans to introduce a proof of identity requirement under the proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regulations.

Vera Baird: There are no plans to introduce a requirement for people to provide proof of identity.

Justices Clerks

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many justices clerks there were in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: The number of justices clerks employed in each year since 1997 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of working justices clerks( 1) 
			 1997 190 
			 1998 179 
			 1999 171 
			 2000 160 
			 2001 139 
			 2002 118 
			 2003 91 
			 2004 83 
			 2005 71 
			 2006 70 
			 2007 69 
			 (1) The figures between 1997 to 2005 are approximate and are based on the records my Department inherited from the former magistrates courts committees (MCCs). 
		
	
	Up until 1 April 2005, the number of justices clerks posts were determined by MCCs. Factors affecting numbers included:
	the change in the definition of a justices clerks responsibilities in 2000 from, a legal and management role to a purely legal management role (which led to some MCCs, including the former GLMCA, reviewing their local structures and the number of justices clerks required); and
	a desire to move to larger, and in some cases single, clerkships to ensure that legal advisers from across the criminal justice areas were provided with a greater consistency of advice.

Legal Aid

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what projections she has made of expenditure on legal aid in each of the next five years.

Vera Baird: Taking account of the changes announced by the Government in November in 'Legal Aid Reform: the Way Ahead' (Cm 6993), resource spending on legal aid expenditure is currently projected to be approximately £2 billion in each of the four years 2007-08 to 2010-11. Projections for 2011-12 are not yet available.

Legal Aid

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what projection she has made of the proportion of legal aid work to be undertaken by the not for profit sector under proposed reforms.

Vera Baird: Legal aid funding to the not for profit sector is currently 9 per cent. of civil legal aid expenditure. That proportion is projected to be maintained over the next three years. Legal aid funding to the sector has risen dramatically in recent years from £18 million in 1999-2000 to a projected figure of £76 million in 2006-07. The current reforms provide the sector with opportunities to continue to grow its market share.

Legal Aid: Contracts

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many firms her Department expects to bid in a second round of legal aid contracts under proposed reforms.

Vera Baird: The Legal Services Commission will be consulting on the design of the auction process for criminal legal aid work later this year. In the build up to this consultation we will be working with experts from both within Government and the private sector to build a robust set of proposals for a process that will be fair for the client, fair for practitioners and fair for the taxpayer. These proposals will include a consideration of how best to maintain an effective competition in future rounds.

Legal Services Commission: Pay

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether civil servants working for the Legal Services Commission on legal aid receive additional remuneration dependent on achieving reduced spending on legal aid.

Vera Baird: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is a non-departmental public body and does not employ civil servants.
	All members of the LSC's Executive Team are eligible for a bonus up to a maximum of 20 per cent. of their individual salaries as part of their terms and conditions of employment. The Executive Team's performance objectives, as well as those for other senior executives, are aligned to the LSC's corporate priorities and targets as set out in the 'Corporate Plan 2006/07', available at:
	http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/docs/about_us_main/LSCCorporatePlan0607.pdf
	The value of bonuses paid to members of the LSC's Executive Team in the financial year 2006-07 will be set out in the LSC's annual report 2006-07, to be laid before Parliament before summer recess.

Magistrates

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates there were in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: Figures were compiled on a calendar year basis until 2001 after which they were compiled on a financial year basis. The figures for 2002 do not include the Duchy of Lancaster.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 30,374 
			 1998 30,361 
			 1999 30,260 
			 2000 30,308 
			 2001 28,735 
			 2001-02 24,526 
			 2002-03 28,344 
			 2003-04 28,029 
			 2004-05 28,300 
			 2005-06 28,865 
			 2006-07 (1)29,582 
			 (1) Serving magistrates as of 7 February 2007.

Magistrates Courts

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 875W, on magistrates courts, whether the type of work a magistrate's court is expected to undertake is given consideration when assessing whether it is accessible to persons resident in each local justice area.

Harriet Harman: Magistrates courts can hear all types of cases by virtue of their civil, criminal and Family Jurisdiction. Decisions as to where different types of cases can be heard are for the local Justices' Issues Groups to decide and will take into account:
	The accessibility needs of court users and magistrates; and
	the need to provide magistrates with a broad range of cases.
	Magistrates and cases are not fixed to a particular courthouse and can move around to accommodate the needs of court users and to ensure that cases are heard in a timely and efficient manner.

Magistrates Courts: Administration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the annual retention rate for administrative staff in magistrates courts was in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: My Department does not hold information on the annual retention rate for administrative staff in magistrates courts in each year since 1997. This information, much of which pre-dates the creation of HMCS when magistrates courts information had no central source, could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Magistrate Courts: Closures

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the costs to the Government of closures of magistrates courts over the last 10 years; whether she has made an assessment of the effect of closures on the costs to the public of attendance at such courts; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The costs to the Government of closures of magistrates courts over the last 10 years would only be available at disproportionate cost.
	HMCS consider the cost of providing new facilities at a new or existing court as well as the need to provide an efficient and effective service to the local community when deciding if a magistrates court should be closed.
	The availability and cost of public transport is one of the issues considered when deciding provision of magistrates courts in a local community.
	Other issues considered include:
	Utilisation
	Cost effectiveness
	Provision of secure custody facilities
	Provision of separate waiting area for witnesses and victims away from defendants
	Facilities meeting Disability Discrimination Act requirements alternative., improved provision of access to justice (including where the courthouse is being replaced with a new building containing modern and fit for purpose facilities)

Magistrate Courts: Training

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many training days were offered at magistrates courts in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: Until April 2005 42 independent magistrates courts committees (MCC) had responsibility for magistrates training. As a result no national data on magistrate training exist prior to April 2005.
	Since April 2005 the Judicial Studies Board (JSB), initially on behalf of the Lord Chancellor and since April 2006 on behalf of the Lord Chief Justice, has taken on a strengthened role in magistrate training. As part of its monitoring and evaluation function the JSB has begun to collect data about magistrate training but this is not yet complete. The data provided by Magistrates Area Training Committees (MATCs) to date is as follows:
	2005-06, there is no data on the number of training days or events offered, but MATCs reported a total of 56,915 magistrate attendances at training events.
	2006-07, MATCs planned to deliver 2,294 training events (approximately 10,197 hours)
	2007-08, MATCs plan to deliver 2,220 training events (approximately 13,231 hours)

Magistrates Courts: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which magistrates' courts in Wales have  (a) closed and  (b) opened in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Up until 1 April 2005, magistrates courts were the responsibility of locally managed magistrates courts committees who were not required by statute to inform the Department of any magistrates court closures unless they were subject to an appeal under section 56 (3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 (now repealed).
	Table  (a) and table  (b) detail the magistrates courts in Wales that the Department has been informed of closing and opening in each year since 1997 respectively.
	There are two new magistrates courthouses planned for Caernarfon and Aberystwyth due for completion in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
	
		
			  (a) Magistrates court closures 
			   Courthouse closed 
			 1997 Pontardawe (South Wales) 
			 1997 Bargoed (Gwent) 
			 1997 Monmouth (Gwent) 
			 1997 Pontlottyn (Gwent) 
			 1997 Pontypool (Gwent) 
			 1998 Corwen (North Wales) 
			 2000 Abergele (North Wales) 
			 2003 Machynlleth (Dyfed Powys) 
			 2003 Lampeter (Dyfed Powys) 
			 2003 Tenby (Dyfed Powys) 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Magistrates court openings 
			   Courthouse opened 
			 2003 Haverfordwest (Dyfed Powys)

Public Defender Service

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the cost of the provision of criminal defence services by the Public Defender Service will be considered in deciding fee levels under the proposed legal aid reforms.

Vera Baird: We have published the principles and data which underpin the fee levels upon which the proposed legal aid reforms are based. These are set out in Lord Carter's Review of Legal Aid and 'Legal Aid Reform: the Way Ahead'.

Supreme Court

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the expected annual running costs of the planned Supreme Court.

Harriet Harman: The capital construction costs involved in the refurbishment of the Middlesex Guildhall will be met by regular charges (rent) over a 30-year period as part of the lease and leaseback arrangement we are using. This rental figure forms a large proportion of the running costs of the new Supreme Court and is subject, to ongoing negotiations with our preferred bidder, Kier Group plc.
	As the Lord Chancellor stated in his written ministerial statement of 17 October 2006, we will be in a position to make a statement on annual charges and the running costs once we have reached financial close.

Supreme Court

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what staff and facilities will be provided for the planned Supreme Court.

Harriet Harman: The Supreme Court will be supported by services such as legal research assistants, library facilities, administration support, secretariat, finance, IT, catering and security services. These will be under a newly appointed Chief Executive and President.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

City Regions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have expressed an interest in developing a city region tier of governance; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: A number of local authorities are developing proposals for strengthened cross-boundary collaboration on issues including transport, employment and skills, and economic development. Specific proposals vary according to different local geographies and circumstances. My Department is working closely with local authorities and other Government Departments including HMT to develop cross boundary collaboration further.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to extend the remit of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to cover all equality matters relating to gender identity in addition to matters affecting those who seek or who have had gender reassignment surgery.

Meg Munn: The Commission for Equality and Human Rights has duties to promote the understanding of the importance of equality and diversity and encouraging good practice in relation to equality and diversity. These duties already incorporate matters of gender identity.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many letters to her Department sent from hon. Members during Session 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) over six months old;
	(2)  how many letters were received by her Department from hon. Members in each of the last 12 months; how many such letters were responded to within  (a) 10 and  (b) 20 days of receipt; how many were answered after 20 days from the date of receipt; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information is not available in the format requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	Within the 2005-06 Session 14,911 letters were received from hon. Members and Members of the devolved Administrations, of which 12,126 required a reply. 8,290 were answered within 20 working days of receipt.
	During 2006 11,098 letters were received from hon. Members and Members of the devolved Administrations, of which 8,994 letters required a reply. 5,342 were answered within 20 working days.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The Report for 2005 was published in 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 75-78WS. Information relating to 2006 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready.

Decent Homes Scheme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in  (a) Coventry and  (b) the West Midlands have been part of the Government's Decent Homes programme.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 18 January 2007
	In Coventry there are 23,793 homes owned by registered social landlords, and none by the council. All these homes are part of the Decent Homes programme as they all have to be made decent. 4,265 are still below the decent homes standard.
	The Decent Homes programme also covers non decent homes in the private sector occupied by vulnerable households but we do not have any figures at local authority level.
	In the West Midlands in 2005 there were 453,998 homes in the social sector of which 125,743 were non-decent and there were 1,820,999 homes in the private sector of which 522,414 were non-decent. The total reduction in non-decent homes social sector in West Midlands over the period 2001-05 was 89,701.

Departmental Contracts

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which public affairs firms have been given contracts by  (a) her Department and  (b) public bodies sponsored by her Department in the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

Angela Smith: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Public affairs firms advise clients on political lobbying. The department would not award contracts for lobbying,
	 (b) Information from sponsored bodies is not held centrally and collation would incur disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will provide a breakdown of how the £74 million grant announced in her Department's news release of 19 December 2006 will be used to tackle domestic violence; and whether this funding is separate to that referred to by the Prime Minister in his answer of 6 December 2006,  Official Report, column 302, on domestic violence.

Yvette Cooper: £74 million homelessness funding for 2007-08 is allocated to local authorities and the voluntary sector to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness. It includes a target to reduce the number of households living in temporary accommodation and to tackle the wider symptoms and causes of homelessness, including action on health, employment, relationship breakdown (including as a result of domestic violence), and other associated issues. Grants to local authorities are not ring-fenced and therefore it is for them to determine how homelessness funding is used to best tackle and prevent homelessness.
	A survey of local authorities undertaken by DCLG in September 2005 showed that 120 local authorities had a Sanctuary Scheme in place and that a further 165 plan to have one in place by March 2007.
	This money is different from the £70 million mentioned by the Prime Minister on 6 December 2006,  Official Report, column 302.

East of England Plan

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of  (a) preparing,  (b) consulting on and  (c) producing the Draft East of England Plan for (i) Go East, (ii) the East of England Regional Assembly and (iii) her Department, including the Inquiry in Public held in 2006.

Meg Munn: The estimated cost of holding the examination in public into the draft East of England plan from November 2005 to March 2006 is £343,000. This includes such items as staff costs of the panel secretariat and the panel itself, office accommodation, venue hire and subsistence. This figure does not include the staff costs of either GO East, my Department or the Regional Assembly, nor associated research costs and overheads incurred over the whole period of plan preparation since 2002.
	It would be a very long and complex exercise to try to ascertain the full costs of the whole plan making process on the part of all the publicly financed bodies involved—not all of which are listed in the question. Such an exercise would be expensive and inconclusive, for example because of the difficulties in apportioning overheads and the time of many staff whose input has been at the margins of the process. It would be a poor use of taxpayers' money.

Home Condition Report

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will set milestones by which to judge the success of the take up of the voluntary home condition report;
	(2)  what criteria her Department has developed to assess the case for making the home condition report a mandatory part of the home information pack; and what information she plans to collect to inform the decision.

Yvette Cooper: Home information packs aim to reduce carbon emissions from homes and improve the home buying and selling process for consumers. We are currently undertaking area trials to test the impact of packs and, in particular, the extent to which they reduce transaction times, failure rates and wasted costs as well as encouraging improvements in energy efficiency.
	We will monitor all aspects of implementation, and will be getting regular feedback on the area trials from the independent research that we have commissioned to monitor the trials. The first report from the independent researchers is expected in February. We will publish the findings as the trials progress

Homelessness: North West Region

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in Warrington were registered as homeless in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 1 February 2007
	Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households rather than persons. A table showing the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need for each year since 1997-98, by each local authority (including Warrington), is available in the Library of the House.
	The duty owed to a household accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.

Housing

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what projection the Government have made of additional demand for housing from migration; on what migration estimates that projection is based; and whether these estimates have been revised in line with recent changes in the level of immigration.

Yvette Cooper: Household projections are based on the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) population estimates. The 2003 based household projections produced by Communities and Local Government estimated that an average 209,000 additional households would form each year between 2003 and 2026. Of these additional households 31 per cent. (65,000) are attributable to net migration into England.
	The 2003 based household projections were produced using the Office for National Statistics' 2003 based population projections. These population projections are based on the assumption that the long term annual average net migration into England will be 124,000.
	The Office for National Statistics' 2004 based population projections take account of more recent trends in migration. In 2007 Communities and Local Government plan to publish updated household projections based on these 2004 based population projections.

Housing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether measures are in place to ensure that newly built social housing is available to local residents before being sold to housing associations; and if she will make a statement on the role that housing associations play in the current social housing configuration.

Yvette Cooper: Since the 1990's, almost all of the new supply of social housing has been provided by registered social landlords as they are able to add an additional 40-50 per cent. funding on top of Housing Corporation investment through independent borrowing. Local authorities are often partners in these developments, providing land and other support in return for access to the provision. A small number of additional homes are built and retained by local authorities and we are exploring opportunities to increase this where it would offer good value for money.
	Registered social landlords make available vacancies to which local authorities may nominate people from the local authority waiting list. The Housing Corporation has issued regulatory guidance which sets out the requirements on registered social landlords in this matter (Housing Corporation Regulatory Circular 02/03, February 2003).
	Registered social landlords have a duty to co-operate with local authorities in offering accommodation to people with priority under the authority's allocation scheme, and in assisting the local authority to discharge its homeless functions.

Housing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she plans to take toward ensuring zero carbon emissions in all new housing by 2017.

Angela Smith: The proposals the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government published on 13 December 2006 set out our draft strategy for moving to zero carbon new homes by 2016. The consultation period on these proposals closes on 8 March 2007, and during this period there are several speaking engagements and seminars at which we will set out the proposals to stakeholders and other interested parties. My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning also established a small taskforce chaired jointly with Stewart Baseley from the Home Builders Federation to examine and address any barriers to implementation of the zero carbon homes standard. We expect to publish the final proposals later this year.

Housing

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2006,  Official Report, column 2036W, on the Supporting People programme, when she expects to publish the report on housing-related support through the Supporting People programme.

Phil Woolas: The report is currently being finalised. We hope to publish shortly.

Housing: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of the Milton Keynes tariff on the cost of affordable housing in Milton Keynes.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 29 January 2007
	The Milton Keynes Prospectus, commonly known as the "tariff" is a planning obligation, under the Town and Country Planning Act and covers part of Milton Keynes. The final agreement has not yet been signed by all concerned parties. It aims to deliver affordable housing in line with the Milton Keynes plan.

Local Enterprise Growth Initiative

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria were used in assessing which bids for second round funding under the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative would be approved.

Phil Woolas: All applicants had to demonstrate that their proposals would address the headline outcome framework set for the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) which is:
	(i) to increase total entrepreneurial activity among the population in deprived local areas;
	(ii) to support the sustainable growth—and reduce the failure rate—of locally-owned business in deprived areas; and
	(iii) to attract appropriate inward investment and franchising into deprived areas, making use of local labour resources.
	Full guidance on round two was issued to authorities in June 2006 and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Local Government

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have  (a) applied to be and  (b) made inquiries about becoming unitary authorities.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the statement that I made to the House on 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 7WS.

Local Government Finance

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much each local government re-organisation in England cost in each year since 1980.

Phil Woolas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1554W.

PPS3

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes the new version of Planning Policy Statement 3 made to the planning regulations for development on  (a) former and  (b) existing airfields.

Yvette Cooper: Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) does not change the status of airfields compared to Planning Policy Guidance 3 (PPG3), or policies in relation to their development.
	PPG3 said that where a building occupies only a small proportion of a previously developed site, and the remainder is open land, then it would not normally be appropriate to develop to the boundary of the site.
	PPS3 continues this approach. It includes a clear statement that there is no presumption that previously developed land is necessarily suitable for housing development, nor that the whole of the curtilage should be developed.

PPS3

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) existing and  (b) former airfields are considered to be brownfield land under the new Planning Policy Statement 3.

Yvette Cooper: The Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) definition of previously developed land is land "which is or—was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure" Agricultural and forestry buildings are excluded from the definition.
	Airfields are treated in exactly the same way under PPS3 as under the previous PPG3. Whether airfields, or former airfields, are considered as previously developed land will depend on local circumstances.
	It is for local authorities to judge in individual cases whether an airfield or former airfield should be treated as previously developed land.
	There is no presumption that land that is previously developed is necessarily suitable for housing development nor that the whole of the curtilage should be developed.

Recruitment Agencies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Department uses three contracted temporary staff employment agencies to which contracts were awarded as a result of a tender exercise.
	Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006. The figures available are as follows (includes figures for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister):
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2005-06 2,496,966 
			 2004-05 2,431,606 
			 2003-04 2,732,022 
		
	
	Information prior to January 2003 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The figures shown exclude CLG Agencies.

Safer Stronger Communities Fund

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will break down by programme expenditure from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund initiative in the  (a) Eastern,  (b) East Midlands,  (c) London,  (d) North East,  (e) North West,  (f) South East,  (g) South West and  (h) West Midlands regions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The Safer Stronger Communities Fund is a fund pooled by two Government Departments, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office.
	
		
			  Funding for 2006-07 
			  Region  Home Office  Department for Communities and Local Government  Total 
			 East  (a) 8,544,389 7,240,194 15,784,583 
			 East Midlands  (b) 7,834,593 8,644,024 16,478,617 
			 London  (c) 14,708,771 15,421,877 30,130,648 
			 North East  (d) 5,059,314 16,040,444 21,099,758 
			 North West  (e) 13,103,944 33,775,551 46,879,495 
			 South East  (f) 13,181,292 4,018,287 17,199,579 
			 South West  (g) 8,663,422 7,033,647 15,697,069 
			 West Midlands  (h) 9,819,323 9,614,249 19,433,572 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber(1) 8,826,537 16,848,085 25,674,622 
			 Total 89,741,585 118,636,358 208,377,943 
			 (1 )Although information was not requested figures are included for Yorkshire and the Humber region to give whole of England amount.

Social Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what opportunities exist for the inclusion of energy efficiency measures into social housing owned by  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations; and what grant or other help is available from government to enhance energy efficiency in (i) new build and (ii) existing stock.

Yvette Cooper: The Decent Homes standard, which applies to all social housing, whether owned by local authorities or registered social landlords, contains a number of energy efficiency measures. Research by the Building Research Establishment on the implementation of the Decent Homes programme indicates that the majority of improvement works under the Decent Homes scheme include work to improve energy efficiency. The same research also indicates that most landlords, when implementing energy efficiency works, deliver much higher standards than the minimum required by the Decent Homes standard.
	Between 1997 and 2010, we expect local authorities and registered social landlords will together have spent at least £40 billion on improving their homes through the Decent Homes programme.
	DEFRA supports the energy efficiency commitment (EEC) which is run by Ofgem. The EEC requires obligated electricity and gas suppliers to achieve targets for the improvement of energy efficiency in domestic properties in Great Britain. This involves energy suppliers working with householders and housing providers (both social and private) to implement energy efficiency measures, which are funded mostly by the energy suppliers themselves.
	Social housing providers, builders and householders can access a number of grants for energy efficiency works under the DTI's "Low Carbon Buildings" programme, covering up to 50 per cent. of costs of installing micro generation or other energy efficiency technology.
	Since 2006, newly built social homes funded by the Housing Corporation through the approved development pot must gain an EcoHomes rating of "very good", from 2008 newly build homes funded by the Housing Corporation will have to meet the Code for Sustainable Buildings level 3.

Social Services: Grants

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much central Government grant each local authority delivering social services would have received if  (a) floors and ceilings had not been applied and  (b) if damping had not been applied to the children and young adults element of the grant.

Phil Woolas: A table has been placed in the Library of the House showing how much formula grant, which comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant, would have been received in 2007-08  (a) if damping had been applied to the Children's Social Care Relative Needs Formula and the Younger Adults' Personal Social Services Relative Needs Formula but floor damping had not been applied and  (b) if damping had neither been applied to the Children's Social Care Relative Needs Formula and the Younger Adults' Personal Social Services Relative Needs Formula nor had floor damping been applied.
	It is not possible to say how much grant authorities would have received in 2007-08 had damping not been applied to the Children's Social Care Relative Needs Formula and the Younger Adults' Personal Social Services Relative Needs Formula but floor damping had been applied, since we might have taken different decisions on the level of floor damping to ensure that every authority would have received a reasonable increase year-on-year on a like-for-like basis i.e. after adjusting for changes in funding and function.

South East Plan

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of commissioning Robert Tym and Partners to produce a report on the South East plan for the examination in public;
	(2)  what the recommendations of the report by Robert Tym and Partners were on the South East plan in relation to  (a) building numbers of new dwellings and  (b) green belt protection.

Yvette Cooper: The Government commissioned this research by Robert Tym and Partners to augment the evidence base for the examination in public into the draft regional spatial strategy for the South East. This is not a report on the South East plan, it is an independent technical exercise using publicly available information to assess the impacts and implications of accommodating levels of housing growth above that proposed by the South East of England regional assembly, should this be considered by the independent panel conducting the EiP.
	The report has not reviewed or revised the South East plan or developed alternatives to the plan. The consultants were not required to provide a critique of the draft RSS or the evidence base underpinning it, nor were they asked to recommend an optimum level of growth or present an alternative distribution for the levels of growth tested. The intention in commissioning the work was to make sure that the evidence is available to inform an open and wide ranging debate at the EiP, to ensure that the South East is able to respond to important environmental and housing pressures over the next 20 years. The cost of the report was £73,000.

Sporting and Recreational Grounds

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department takes to protect sporting and recreational grounds from development.

Yvette Cooper: The land use planning system provides robust protection for sporting and recreational grounds that local communities need. Government policy is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 17: "Open Space, Sport and Recreation" (PPG17).

Street Markets

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps the Department is taking to support and develop the role of local street markets in helping deliver its policy objectives on regenerating and sustaining communities; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what policies are being developed to enhance and support the development of street markets as part of out-of-town developments;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the potential role of local street markets in town centre regeneration and in providing opportunities for local economic development and employment; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Government recognises the valuable contribution that street markets can make to local choice and diversity in shopping, and the vitality of town centres, but it is for local authorities to decide how they achieve that local choice and diversity, taking account of the national policy framework.
	To support and develop the role of street markets, national planning policy, in "Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres" (PPS6), asks local authorities to consider markets as an integral part of the vision for their town centres, and to seek to retain and enhance existing markets and, where appropriate, re-introduce or create new ones. Local authorities are encouraged to ensure that their markets remain attractive and competitive by investing in their improvement.
	PPS6 asks local authorities to assess the need for retail development, as a context for planning for town centres, and to ensure that there are sites available to provide for this need. We would expect local authorities to take account of the role of street markets in carrying out this assessment.
	Planning policy does not specifically promote street markets as part of out-of-town developments. PPS6 promotes policies which will support the vitality and viability of existing town centres. But local authorities are encouraged to plan more widely for people's day-to-day needs and to seek to remedy deficiencies in local shopping and other facilities where appropriate, working with local communities and stakeholders. This could include promoting local street markets.

Tree Preservation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers exist to prosecute developers if they cut down trees for which they have no planning permission to fell; and what sanctions apply in cases where such trees have tree preservation orders attached to them.

Yvette Cooper: Planning permission is not required for cutting down trees, although a felling licence may be required from the Forestry Commission, depending on the current use of the land and the number of trees involved. The penalty for cutting down trees without a felling licence where it is required is £2,500 in the magistrates court or twice the value of the trees, whichever is the higher.
	Consent from the local planning authority is required for cutting down trees which are subject to a tree preservation order. The penalty for cutting down a tree in contravention of an order is a fine of up to £20,000 in the magistrates court, or an unlimited fine in the Crown court. The same penalty applies for cutting down trees in conservation areas without giving prior notice to the local planning authority.

Valuation Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties have photographs allocated to their property recorded by the Valuation Office Agency as part of their council tax valuation records.

Phil Woolas: At November 2006, (3.3 per cent.) of the 23 million domestic property records, in England and Wales, held by the Valuation Office Agency have a photograph or photographs attached.

Wandsworth Borough Council: Finance

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated to Wandsworth council by the Government in each of the last 15 years, broken down into  (a) ringfenced and  (b) non-ringfenced funding.

Phil Woolas: The amount of revenue funding allocated to Wandsworth council by the Government between 1997-98 and 2005-06, broken down into  (a) ringfenced and  (b) non-ringfenced funding is given in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   (a) Ringfenced  (b) Non-ringfenced  Other grants not separately identified  Total( 1) 
			 1997-98 8.2 201.3 0.0 209.5 
			 1998-99 12.0 196.0 0.0 208.1 
			 1999-00 16.4 201.6 0.6 218.6 
			 2000-01 25.3 203.8 0.4 229.5 
			 2001-02 32.3 208.0 0.4 240.7 
			 2002-03 37.2 210.6 0.5 248.3 
			 2003-04 51.1 224.4 4.1 279.6 
			 2004-05 39.9 242.1 4.0 285.9 
			 2005-06 32.8 261.9 5.3 300.1 
			 (1 )May not sum due to rounding  Source:  Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn returns 
		
	
	A breakdown of ringfenced and non-ringfenced funding is not supplied prior to 1997-98 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This is because a classification of grants as ringfenced or non-ringfenced is not held centrally for years before 1997-98.
	Revenue funding includes all grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant (revenue support grant and redistributed business rates) and all specific grants.
	The figures exclude grants outside AEF such as housing benefit subsidy, capital grants, funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Advertising: Air Pollution

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the carbon emissions generated through the electricity requirements of backlit advertising poster sites; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: No formal estimates of the electricity consumption and related carbon emissions for backlit advertising poster sites have been made.

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what occasions  (a) he and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers in the Department have regularly attended committees of the devolved institutions and European Parliament since 2004 in the course of official business. It is not possible to provide the more detailed information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

Construction

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution to the UK economy was made by the construction industry in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Trade and Industry is responsible for statistics on construction in Great Britain only. The total value of public and private housebuilding in Great Britain in 1997-2005 was:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Current prices  Constant (2000) prices 
			 1997 7,983 9,911 
			 1998 8,430 9,791 
			 1999 8,419 8,884 
			 2000 9,985 9,985 
			 2001 10,234 9,420 
			 2002 12,089 9,933 
			 2003 15,362 11,205 
			 2004 19,447 12,763 
			 2005 21,063 13,072 
		
	
	Data for 2006 will be published on 2 March 2007
	Current prices series is the price prevailing in the relevant year.
	Constant (2000) prices series show the change in construction after the effects of inflation have been removed. This information is published in the Construction Statistics Annual 2006, a copy of which is available in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Expenditure

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the expenditure by his Department on buying, operating and supporting  (a) all commercial software products and  (b) software products produced by Microsoft was in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Owing to a change in the Department's accounting system during 2003-04 and the devolved nature of the ICT (Information Community Technology) until April 2006, consistent information to answer the PQ fully cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Departmental Fixed Assets

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which fixed assets his Department sold for more than £10,000 in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06; and what the (i) sale value, (ii) purchaser and (iii) date of sale was of each asset.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Trade and Industry did not sell any assets for more than £10,000 during the financial years, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to implement the gender equality duty due to come into force on 6 April 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI has, as required by the legislation, produced Race Equality Schemes to outline the ways in which the Race Equality Duty is being implemented into the Department. DTI's first scheme ran from 2002-05, and our second scheme, published in June 2006, will run until 2008. DTI is also committed to making regular progress reports on the action plan contained in our scheme, and this will be contained in our annual departmental report.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to implement the Race Equality Duty since 2000.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Trade and Industry is working on its Equality Scheme covering the gender duty with a view to publication before the 30 April deadline. This scheme will provide the framework by which DTI will seek to implement the duty into all its functions.

Electricity Generation

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research he has commissioned into the significance of location in determining the optimum amount of electricity produced.

Malcolm Wicks: The amount of electricity produced in general, and the location and despatch of electricity generating capacity in particular, is a matter for electricity generating companies in response to market signals. Locational differences in the Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges levied by national grid reflect the implications for investment in the transmission network given the distribution of demand and generation across the system. This means that locational variations in the balance between demand and generating capacity are included in the market signals influencing decisions over where to add new capacity.

Employment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to promote effective relations between employers and employees.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 6 February 2007
	Employers and employees both have a stake in creating good workplaces and it is the Department's aim to encourage effective two-way communication which facilitates the achievement of high performance workplaces.
	 The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations
	Employees in larger organisations have the right to be informed and consulted on changes in the place for which they work. The Department is committed to championing such arrangements and in 2006, it contacted 12,000 companies to highlight the benefits of ongoing, two-way communication between employers and employees. Efforts to date include regional road-show events, interviews, articles, briefing and speeches, guidance, and the creation of a dedicated website to deliver Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) training workshops and company visits to share best practice on how to draw up effective arrangements with their employees.
	A further awareness campaign is planned by end February 2007 to raise awareness when these rights are extended to the employees of approximately 8,000 medium-sized companies in April 2007. The Department's efforts are co-ordinated with those of the ACAS, Business Link to ensure that practical advice is available to businesses, and Direct.Gov for employees.
	 Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
	The Department funds the regionally based ACAS whose aim is to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. ACAS provides services that include information provision, advice and training, and individual and collective dispute resolution on employment issues.
	In 2006-07 its National helpline is expected to have dealt with about 900,000 employment-related calls, conciliated in about 1,000 collective disputes and 160,000 individual actual or potential tribunal claims, delivered about 3,000 training sessions on employment issues, and trained more than 200 delegates to operate their own mediation service. Their website is expected to have received about 2.5 million visits for information from employers and employees and HR and legal professionals among others. In addition ACAS are expected to have delivered over 200 workplace projects during the year to improve employment relations and practices.
	 Partnership Fund
	The Department has supported over 250 projects under the Partnership/Strategic Partnership Fund. The fund has supported the development of industrial relations by encouraging employers and employees to work together effectively.
	Projects supported under the fund include workplace partnership projects within individual organisations, and strategic projects, which reach out beyond single company projects to address sectoral and regional issues.
	The Union Modernisation Fund provides financial assistance to independent trade unions and their federations in support of projects which speed unions' adaptation to a changing labour market and new ways of working. This will enhance unions' ability to make a full and effective contribution to constructive employment relations and to the economy as a whole.

Flexible Working

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to encourage industry to offer flexible working schemes to employees.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government encourage all types of flexible working across the work force by providing detailed guidance, promoting the benefits and encouraging the sharing of best practice. In addition Business Link provides practical support and advice for employers on starting, maintaining and growing a business. Employers and employees can also access advice from the Acas website and telephone helpline.
	The right to request flexible working has been a great success since its introduction in April 2003 for parents of young children: some 5.4 million employees now work through some form of flexible working arrangement, and employers accept four out of five requests to work flexibly.
	We are working with stakeholders to ensure high levels of awareness of new family-friendly measures being introduced under the Work and Families Act 2006, including an extension of the right to request flexible working to carers of adults. This will confer the right on a further 2.65 million employees.

Insolvency: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were declared insolvent in Suffolk in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Regional insolvency statistics are only available on the basis of the locations of Official Receivers offices, each of which cover a group of county courts where the cases are heard and the courts having jurisdiction over these. It is not possible to provide bankruptcy statistics by constituency, county or Government office region.
	The following table provides the bankruptcy order statistics considered to be closest to those of interest, but they should not be treated as reliable estimates for the administrative geographies requested.
	
		
			  Bankruptcy order statistics 
			   Ipswich OR's office( 1)  Anglia region (OR-based) 
			 2005 836 7,133 
			 2006 1,239 9,520 
			 (1) Ipswich's OR's office covers the following county courts: Sudbury, St. Osyth, Ipswich, Colchester and Clacton, Braintee.

Liquid Natural Gas

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what discussions he has held with colleagues in other Departments regarding the possible development of a liquid natural gas importation facility on Canvey Island; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the consortium of companies seeking to develop a facility to import liquid natural gas on Canvey Island regarding a possible appeal; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I have had no such discussions.

Liquid Natural Gas

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will meet the hon. Member for Castle Point at the earliest possible time in the event of an appeal being submitted in respect of an application to import liquid natural gas via Canvey Island.

Malcolm Wicks: Any appeal would be determined by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. I regret that a meeting on this issue with the hon. Member could not add significantly to the ground that we covered during the debate in this House on 20 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 383-90, and in the circumstances, would not be appropriate.

Low Carbon Building Programme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 181W, on the Low Carbon Building Programme, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the non-grant measures will be effective in sustaining demand for microgeneration after June 2008.

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy Saving Trust carried out a study (Potential for Microgeneration: Study and Analysis) on behalf of the DTI into the potential of microgeneration. The study examines the impact of non-grant measures such as the Renewables Obligation, reward for export, the Energy Efficiency Commitment and Building Regulations. The conclusions clearly show that these non-grant measures do stimulate uptake over the longer term.
	We are also starting to see evidence of the impact that the introduction of planning policies requiring onsite renewables is having on demand for microgeneration. For example, by September 2006, Croydon council had approved 111 renewable energy projects since the introduction of a requirement for all new developments over a certain size to provide at least 10 per cent. of predicted energy needs through onsite renewables.
	The Department intends to undertake further research to build on the EST study in terms of quantifying the impact of various policy measures on the uptake of microgeneration.

Low Carbon Building Programme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria he will use to determine whether householder grants are no longer necessary to promote microgeneration.

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy Saving Trust carried out a study (Potential for Microgeneration: Study and Analysis) on behalf of the DTI into the potential of microgeneration. The study examines the impact of non-grant measures such as the Renewables Obligation, reward for export, the Energy Efficiency Commitment and Building Regulations. The conclusions clearly show that these non-grant measures do stimulate uptake over the longer term.
	We are also starting to see evidence of the impact that the introduction of planning policies requiring onsite renewables is having on demand for microgeneration. For example, by September 2006, Croydon council had approved 111 renewable energy projects since the introduction of a requirement for all new developments over a certain size to provide at least 10 per cent. of predicted energy needs through onsite renewables.
	The Department intends to undertake further research to build on the EST study in terms of quantifying the impact of various policy measures on the uptake of microgeneration.

Low Carbon Building Programme

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why his Department has removed community projects from Phase One of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We have seen significant interest for domestic projects over the first six months of the Low Carbon Buildings programme Phase 1. In response to representations from industry we have therefore reallocated the £28.5 million budget to provide a further £6.2 million to support household projects. In order to facilitate this reallocation we have closed the Communities stream in Phase 1, along with other measures. We believe that these changes should allow support for householders to continue until June 2008.
	It is important to note that going forward some community projects can continue to apply for support under stream 2 of Phase I, which is a competitive process primarily catering for larger projects and open to the private sector. However, the majority of community projects will receive support under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme, where we have a budget of £50 million.

Low Carbon Building Programme

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to increase grant funding for household projects under Phase One of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Malcolm Wicks: We currently have a total pot of £12.7 million, including management fees, for the Low Carbon Buildings programme Phase 1 household stream, which on projected demand levels should allow householder funding to continue until June 2008. By this time, some of the wider measures to promote micro-generation should be taking hold, and we believe the sector may have matured to a point where householder grants are no longer necessary. There are no plans to increase funding.

Low Carbon Building Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what will replace the small grants for community projects in phase 1 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Malcolm Wicks: The Communities Stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 closed on 1 February 2007. Going forward some community projects can continue to apply for support under the stream 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme Phase 1, which is a competitive process primarily catering for larger projects and open to the private sector. However, the majority of community projects will receive support under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme, where we have a budget of £50 million.

North West Regional Development Agency

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the North West Regional Development Agency allocated to each constituency in the North West in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The North West Regional Development Agency does not allocate funds to individual parliamentary constituencies. However, for the past three financial years the North West Regional Development Agency has provided analysis of actual expenditure in the constituencies of all North West MPs. The North West Regional Development Agency plans to do this for financial year 2006-07 once its accounts have been audited. The information for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Constituency  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Total 
			 Altrincham and Sale West 306,366 273,558 531,531 1,111,455 
			 Ashton Under Lyne 3,804,119 8,409,408 5,467,030 17,680,557 
			 Barrow and Furness 8,691,537 10,178,230 11,291,015 30,160,782 
			 Birkenhead 3,728,897 2,647,507 2,279,005 8,655,409 
			 Blackburn 7,336,765 4,395,776 4,359,169 16,091,710 
			 Blackpool North and Fleetwood 1,705,905 7,243,901 3,033,767 11,983,573 
			 Blackpool South 1,185,896 7,164,961 4,890,353 13,241,210 
			 Bolton North East 4,727,470 4,771,947 7,053,286 16,552,703 
			 Bolton South East 2,234,351 686,482 754,331 3,675,164 
			 Bolton West 663,543 1,167,877 620,098 2,451,518 
			 Bootle 1,974,195 2,625,924 1,232,982 5,833,101 
			 Burnley 5,777,382 6,544,072 5,657,401 17,978,855 
			 Bury North 1,724,807 856,657 889,158 3,470,622 
			 Bury South 1,189,409 501,996 8,043 1,699,448 
			 Carlisle 152,855 1,780,232 3,883,642 5,816,729 
			 Cheadle 306,366 273,558 531,531 1,111,455 
			 Chester 1,841,729 2,018,672 737,446 4,597,847 
			 Chorley 481,202 1,528,978 146,392 2,156,572 
			 Congleton 372,004 1,352,855 451,359 2,176,218 
			 Copeland 3,574,219 5,055,828 7,791,005 16,421,052 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1,121,866 873,720 598,985 2,594,571 
			 Crosby 1,091,350 1,342,199 1,517,850 3,951,399 
			 Denton and Reddish 444,017 493,473 587,065 1,524,555 
			 Eccles 909,631 903,100 1,904,982 3,717,713 
			 Eddisbury 323,153 561,569 256,146 1,140,868 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 2,090,944 4,303,322 2,790,328 9,184,594 
			 Fylde 687,172 457,583 95,134 1,239,889 
			 Halton 7,998,340 5,455,291 5,298,643 18,752,274 
			 Hazel Grove 306,366 273,558 531,531 1,111,455 
			 Heywood and Middleton 376,085 637,116 22,026 1,035,227 
			 Hyndburn 1,483,927 1,839,276 1,989,913 5,313,116 
			 Knowsley North and Sefton East 4,783,538 4,848,179 3,308,532 12,940,249 
			 Knowsley South 2,311,946 2,069,886 501,277 4,883,109 
			 Lancaster and Wyre 7,218,668 4,140,369 3,413,080 14,772,117 
			 Leigh 1,868,241 1,031,736 286,278 3,186,255 
			 Liverpool Garston 12,398,843 38,904,786 23,842,001 75,145,630 
			 Liverpool Riverside 18,220,645 35,368,921 36,088,816 89,678,382 
			 Liverpool Walton 2,368,862 963,187 1,132,039 4,464,088 
			 Liverpool Wavertree 8,075,024 14,257,807 8,443,309 30,776,140 
			 Liverpool West Derby 3,441,598 2,705,236 1,849,399 7,996,233 
			 Macclesfield 353,702 1,253,006 454,395 2,061,103 
			 Makerfield 570,615 436,183 434,441 1,441,239 
			 Manchester Blackley 1,569,400 455,016 150,940 2,175,356 
			 Manchester Central 28,251,910 31,074,611 33,185,129 92,511,650 
			 Manchester Gorton 316,015 545,411 559,003 1,420,429 
			 Manchester Withington 398,758 287,154 586,261 1,272,173 
			 Morecambe and Lunesdale 612,734 623,253 1,226,491 2,462,478 
			 Oldham East and Saddleworth 5,221,631 5,863,541 9,629,034 20,714,206 
			 Oldham West and Royton 1,149,003 1,079,357 403,856 2,632,216 
			 Pendle 2,861,896 3,757,834 4,342,768 10,962,498 
			 Penrith and The Border 1,002,700 1,145,216 2,209,672 4,357,588 
			 Preston 6,067,470 5,522,644 5,245,616 16,835,730 
			 Kibble Valley 270,017 290,448 424,561 985,026 
			 Rochdale 6,300,971 5,686,048 7,972,611 19,959,630 
			 Rossendale and Darwen 3,411,557 2,318,757 1,795,546 7,525,860 
			 Salford 8,920,076 8,880,626 6,149,242 23,949,944 
			 South Ribble 78,662 256,268 218,369 553,299 
			 Southport 354,973 486,577 733,058 1,574,608 
			 St. Helens North 3,353,493 3,911,450 3,128,324 10,393,267 
			 St. Helens South 5,984,324 3,435,425 3,380,008 12,799,757 
			 Stalybridge and Hyde 2,179,071 2,039,111 2,247,349 6,465,531 
			 Stockport 2,291,285 1,689,720 1,652,536 5,633,541 
			 Stretford and Urmston 3,033,265 968,435 1,362,368 5,364,068 
			 Tatton 1,237,064 1,406,915 317,085 2,961,064 
			 Wallasey 6,517,584 4,118,912 3,120,190 13,756,686 
			 Warrington North 609,594 786,768 2,701,890 4,098,252 
			 Warrington South 771,205 986,723 989,576 2,747,504 
			 Weaver Vale 10,788,547 9,090,624 3,920,304 23,799,475 
			 West Lancashire 4,676,730 5,361,506 3,217,012 13,255,248 
			 Westmorland and Lonsdale 250,073 1,557,872 2,021,164 3,829,109 
			 Wigan 6,739,265 3,940,590 3,872,963 14,552,818 
			 Wirral South 3,881,454 3,281,598 6,343,220 13,506,272 
			 Wirral West 414,099 434,198 412,257 1,260,554 
			 Workington 3,331,432 7,209,949 9,523,344 20,064,725 
			 Worsley 683,167 1,344,344 1,580,208 3,607,719 
			 Wythenshawe and Sale East 2,527,352 617,309 265,765 3,410,426 
			 Total 256,280,327 313,052,132 281,842,434 851,174,893

Parliamentary Questions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 29 parliamentary questions in the 2005-06 session were answered with such replies.

Post Offices

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which post offices are involved in the rural pilot programme for the future of the Post Office network; in which local government area and county each is located; what the Post Office classification as urban, rural or remote rural is of each; what the nature is of the pilot being conducted at each; when each pilot started and finished or is expected to finish; and what the findings are of the pilot programme so far.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 6 February 2007
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Mr. Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Renewable Energy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of subsidy per megawatt hour produced is applied to renewable energy, broken down by type.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's main mechanism for encouraging renewable generation is the Renewables Obligation (RO). Renewable generators are issued with one Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) for every 1 MWh of eligible renewable electricity that is generated. Generators can then sell their ROCs to licensed electricity suppliers who can use these to meet their renewables obligation. In the compliance period to 1 April 2006 one ROC was worth £42. The RO is a market mechanism and the price of a ROC is set by the market. Under current rules the RO does not differentiate between technologies. However, as part of the Energy Review the Government are considering proposals to band the RO to provide different levels of support for different technologies.
	In addition to the RO the Government have made available around £500 million of spending on capital grants and research and development between 2002 and 2008. This includes £66 million for bioenergy, £31 million for solar photovoltaics and £50 million for marine renewables.

Renewable Energy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice he has received about the efficacy of wind power by comparison with renewable alternatives in terms of megawatt per hour produced.

Malcolm Wicks: There is a wealth of information about the ability of wind generation to deliver significant amounts of green megawatts. For example, the Renewables Innovation Review, carried out in 2004 by DTI and the Carbon Trust, concludes that wind power is able to deliver almost all the required growth in renewable energy to meet the target of 10 per cent. renewables by 2010, and is likely to continue to be the dominant renewable energy technology until 2020. It is the most economic renewable technology for which there is significant additional capacity in the UK and will remain so for some time to come. In order to support emerging low carbon technologies, other than onshore wind, to reach commercial viability over the long-term, the Government are investing around £500 million, between 2002 and 2008, in capital grants and research and development.
	The following table shows a comparison of the amount of electricity generated by different renewable sources. The efficacy of renewable sources cannot be expressed in megawatt per hour produced because this does not take account of the size or capacity of plants.
	
		
			  Generation by renewable sources of electricity 
			  Generation (MWh)  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Onshore wind(1) 944,928 960,144 1,251,243 1,275,506 1,736,394 2,505,336 
			 Offshore wind 900 4,965 4,833 9,870 198,715 402,735 
			 Hydro((2—)CHECK) 5,085,253 4,055,709 4,787,920 3,228,000 4,930,000 4,961,026 
			 Biofuels and wastes (excluding co-firing) 4,401,091 5,054,250 5,338,400 6,099,824 6,863,553 7,087,317 
			 Total generation 10,433,439 10,076,888 11,385,094 10,615,815 13,732,196 14,964,589 
			 (1) Actual generation figures are given where available, but otherwise are estimated using a typical load factor or the design load factor, where known. (2) Excluding pumped storage stations. Capacities are as at the end of December 2005.  Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2006.

Renewable Energy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment he has made of the progress towards the targets for the proportion of energy to be produced from renewable sources.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2005, 4 per cent. of the UK's electricity supply came from sources of renewable energy eligible for the Renewables Obligation (up from 1.8 per cent. in 2002), and 4.2 per cent. from all sources of renewable energy (up from 2.9 per cent. in 2002). Figures are not yet available for 2006. It is too early to say how much renewable electricity there will be by 2010. But if we make quick progress in addressing the barriers to large scale deployment such as access to the grid and planning delays we could still perform well against the target. However, we are looking at the possible 2010 outcomes as part of the review of the Renewables Obligation.

Renewables Obligation System

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on the renewables obligation system.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has regular discussions with Ofgem on matters concerning our renewable energy targets. We have received, from a wide range of interest groups and organisations, including Ofgem, a total of 206 responses to our consultation document: "Reform of the Renewables Obligation and Statutory Consultation on the Renewables Obligation Order" 2007. All responses will be taken into account when formulating our policies for future support of renewable electricity generation.

Social Enterprises and Community Interest Companies

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) community interest companies and  (b) social enterprises there are in each local authority area in England expressed per 10,000 population in descending order.

Margaret Hodge: A total of 634 Community Interest Companies (CICs) are registered in England to date. The following table provides the requested information on the number of CICs per 10,000 adults in each county and unitary authority of England. Given the small numbers involved and the turnover of the business stock and population, these figures should be treated with caution as estimates.
	It is estimated that there are at least 55,000 social enterprises in the UK with a combined turnover of at least 27 billion. This figure has been derived from the Annual Small Business Survey 2005. Since it is based on a sample survey of a small number of social enterprises, a robust estimate is only available at the UK level.
	
		
			  County or unitary authority  Number of CICs  Rate of CICs per 10,000 resident adults 
			 Reading 8 0.7 
			 Nottingham 12 0.5 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 22 0.5 
			 East Sussex 18 0.4 
			 Devon 26 0.4 
			 Tyne and Wear 38 0.4 
			 Luton 6 0.4 
			 Middlesbrough 4 0.4 
			 Herefordshire 5 0.3 
			 Bristol 11 0.3 
			 Northumberland 8 0.3 
			 Somerset 12 0.3 
			 Leicestershire 5 0.1 
			 Northamptonshire 5 0.1 
			 Hertfordshire 8 0.1 
			 Bedfordshire 3 0.1 
			 Brighton and Hove 2 0.1 
			 Dorset 3 0.1 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 0.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1 0.1 
			 Worcestershire 4 0.1 
			 South Yorkshire 9 0.1 
			 Shropshire 2 0.1 
			 Buckinghamshire 3 0.1 
			 North Yorkshire 13 0.3 
			 Blackpool 3 0.3 
			 Durham 10 0.2 
			 Cheshire 12 0.2 
			 Derbyshire 13 0.2 
			 York 3 0.2 
			 Merseyside 21 0.2 
			 Greater London 115 0.2 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 2 0.2 
			 Surrey 16 0.2 
			 Lancashire 17 0.2 
			 Kent 20 0.2 
			 Suffolk 10 0.2 
			 Nottinghamshire 11 0.2 
			 West Yorkshire 27 0.2 
			 Peterborough 2 0.2 
			 North Lincolnshire 2 0.2 
			 Essex 16 0.1 
			 Norfolk 10 0.1 
			 Darlington 1 0.1 
			 Cumbria 5 0.1 
			 Hampshire 12 0.1 
			 West Midlands 24 0.1 
			 West Sussex 7 0.1 
			 Wiltshire 4 0.1 
			 Derby 2 0.1 
			 Halton 1 0.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 0.1 
			 Medway 2 0.1 
			 South Gloucestershire 2 0.1 
			 Oxfordshire 5 0.1 
			 Southend-on-Sea 1 0.1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1 0.1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1 0.1 
			 Portsmouth 1 0.1 
			 Southampton 1 0.1 
			 Greater Manchester 11 0.1 
			 Lincolnshire 3 0.1 
			 Warwickshire 2 0.0 
			 Gloucestershire 2 0.0 
			 Staffordshire 2 0.0 
			 Bournemouth 0 0.0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0.0 
			 Hartlepool 0 0.0 
			 Kingston Upon Hull City of 0 0.0 
			 Leicester 0 0.0 
			 Milton Keynes 0 0.0 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 0.0 
			 North Somerset 0 0.0 
			 Plymouth 0 0.0 
			 Poole 0 0.0 
			 Rutland 0 0.0 
			 Slough 0 0.0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0.0 
			 Swindon 0 0.0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 0 0.0 
			 Thurrock 0 0.0 
			 Torbay 0 0.0 
			 Warrington 0 0.0 
			 West Berkshire 0 0.0 
			 Wokingham 0 0.0

Street Lighting

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential for reduction of energy use in street lighting; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	Provision of street lighting in England, on local roads, is a matter for individual highway authorities, and the Department for Transport has made no formal assessment of the potential for energy savings in street lighting.
	The Department endorses "Well-lit Highways", the code of practice on highway lighting management (December 2004, TSO) published by the UK Lighting Board. The Board, in conjunction with the Institution of Lighting Engineers, has also produced "Invest to Save", which provides guidance to local authorities considering adopting energy saving measures such as dimming or mid-night switching off of lights. The effects of reducing lighting levels or turning lights off will vary from case to case. Any financial or environmental savings from reduced energy use would have to be balanced against potential adverse effects, for example on accidents or crime.
	The Highways Agency is currently reviewing all its standards for the provision of road lighting on the strategic road network, which will mean less new lighting being installed in future. The agency's review work also includes the development of an energy strategy for the management of existing lighting, which could include reduced lighting levels, and switching off lighting when roads are lightly trafficked. Trials are expected to start in 2007.

Utilities: Small Businesses

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) Ofgem has taken to encourage energy suppliers to develop industry-wide codes of practice in relation to (i) the billing of and (ii) selling to small business consumers.

Malcolm Wicks: The existing level of regulatory protection in respect of gas and electricity broadly reflects that in general consumer law. It is open to Ofgem to consider whether additional regulatory protection, including the establishment of industry-wide code of practices relating to billing and selling, is required. The issue of gas and electricity billing is also the subject of a consultation, which closes on 6 February, as part of the Energy Review. I understand that the chairman of Ofgem will write to the hon. Member about the information he has sought.

Wind Farms

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many wind farms with more than two turbines there are in each region of the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table shows the number of wind farms with more than two turbines in each region of the UK. These figures are from the British Wind Energy Association.
	
		
			  Region  Number of wind farms 
			 East of England 5 
			 South East 1 
			 South West 8 
			 West Midlands 0 
			 East Midlands 5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4 
			 North East 7 
			 North West 17 
			 London 0 
			 England 47 
			 Wales 19 
			 Scotland 31 
			 Northern Ireland 11 
			 United Kingdom 108

HEALTH

Agency Nurses

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sanctions are applied to primary care trusts which use agencies for nursing staff which are not part of the multi regional framework agreement; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 7 February 2007
	There are no sanctions applied to trusts who work with agencies outside the agency framework agreements. However, trusts are encouraged to use agencies signed up to regional framework agreements to ensure that they meet the cost and clinical governance standards required.

Audiology

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide extra help to the NHS in Shropshire to clear the waiting list for the fitting of digital hearing aids.

Ivan Lewis: In order to improve access and reduce waiting times for audiology services, a national action plan is being developed for publication soon.
	This measure will assist in significantly reducing waiting times and will greatly benefit those who receive hearing aids.

CATS Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1583W, on the Capture, Assess, Treat and Support Service, what steps she has taken to ensure value for money in the Capture, Assess, Treat and Support system;
	(2)  how many bidders have tendered for the Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support (CATS) service in Preston; what contracts have been signed for such provision; and what guarantees have been given to private providers bidding for the CATS service in relation to patient referrals.

Andy Burnham: The clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) scheme aims to deliver best value to the local health economy by procuring cost effective triaging of general practitioners referrals and a range of diagnostics capacity.
	The scheme is part of the phase two independent sector treatment centre elective procurement. As part of the final approval process all schemes need to demonstrate to HM Treasury that they offer value for money when compared to equivalent costs in the national health service.
	From a pool of interested parties, four bidders were short-listed and issued an invitation to tender of which two bids were returned for the CATS scheme. No contracts have been signed—the commercial terms are still under negotiation with Netcare as the preferred bidder in the negotiation. There are no guarantees in respect of the number of referrals. The commercial terms between the Department and the bidder are commercially sensitive.

Clacton Hospital

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department is aware of plans to transfer any services available at Clacton hospital to other hospitals.

Andy Burnham: The Department is not aware of any plans to transfer services available at Clacton hospital to other hospitals. However, the NHS East of England has reported that the North East Essex Primary Care Trust will be moving some services at Clacton hospital to different areas of the site.

Delayed Discharges Reimbursement Scheme

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2007,  Official Report, column 463W, on Delayed Discharges Reimbursement Scheme, what information her Department holds on the liabilities of local authorities to pay charges under the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003.

Ivan Lewis: The Department holds data on the number of reimbursable hospital bed days by local authority and national health service trust. Collection of these data began on 5 October 2003 with the last available data being for the week ending 21 January 2007.
	The available data held by the Department have been placed in the Library.

Diets

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer requesting that he reverse the recent classification of diet foods recommended as a means of reducing obesity as in a category of food which attracts VAT.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1734W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Doctors: Training

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will extend the period during which doctors can apply for posts via the Medical Training Application System;
	(2)  how many times the medical training application system was available during the application period.

Caroline Flint: The Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) was available from 25 October to 5 December for applications to foundation programmes, and from 22 January to 5 February, for applications to specialty training programmes. During both application periods, there was only one planned break in the service for two hours on the morning of 29 January for essential maintenance. The deadline was extended by two hours until 2 pm on 4 February, to take account of this break. In addition, there was an unplanned break in the service of five minutes at 11 pm on 31 January.
	The deadline for applications to specialty training programmes through MTAS was further extended to 9 am on 5 February to take account of some periods when the service was not performing at optimum level.

Drugs: Misuse

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the funding allocation of the Pooled Drug Treatment Budget was in real terms in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Sandwell in each of the last three years.

Caroline Flint: Information about the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB) for each of the last three years and what this means in real terms within England, West Midlands and Sandwell is shown in the table.
	
		
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 National PTB total (£ million) 384.6 299.4 253.4 236.1 
			 Real terms increase (percentage) 25.1 16.0 4.5 — 
			 West Midlands PTB total (£) 40,062,971 33,181,306 27,174,686 24,614,068 
			 Real terms increase (percentage) 17.6 19.9 7.4 — 
			 Sandwell PTB total (£) 2,974,806 2,509,961 2,039,042 1,831,207 
			 Real terms increase (percentage) 15.4 20.8 8.4 —

Drugs: Misuse

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected funding allocation of the Pooled Treatment Budget will be in real terms for  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Sandwell in the next three years.

Caroline Flint: In 2007-08 the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB) for England will be £388 million, with £3,099,463 indicatively allocated to Sandwell and £43,270,258 to the West Midlands. The young people capital funding allocation for the next three years has not been decided.
	No decisions have been made on PTB allocations for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Drugs: Misuse

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely impact of reducing the Pooled Treatment Budget allocation for Sandwell in 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: The National Treatment Agency for substance misuse (NTA) has undertaken an assessment of the potential impact of a 4 per cent. decrease in Sandwell's pooled treatment budget (PTB) in 2007-08. They are confident that, through timely notification of this reduction to the Sandwell drug action team (DAT), availability of significant resources from previous underspends, and support for the DAT from the NTA's regional team, Sandwell will be able to deliver against its plans for drug treatment in 2007-08.

General Chiropractic Council

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) is accountable to  (a) the chiropractic profession,  (b) Ministers and  (c) the general public; how much public money the GCC received in the last year for which figures are available; whether the GCC operates a filtering system for trivial or vexatious complaints; and what use is made by the GCC of arbitration before cases are brought before the Professional Conduct Committee.

Rosie Winterton: The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) is an independent statutory body. The Government provide the legislative framework that governs professional self-regulation for chiropractors.
	The Council of the GCC has 10 members elected by fully registered chiropractors—six lay members appointed by the Privy Council, three members appointed by education committee and one member appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.
	We are aware of the GCC receiving £2,874.26 of public money in accounting year 2006-07.
	Every complaint that the GCC receive is considered by the Investigations Committee, which decide whether there is a case to answer. Cases of alleged personal or professional misconduct or incompetence are referred to the Professional Conduct Committee. Legislation does not make provision for arbitration, every case must be heard.

Harwich Hospital

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which medical services were intended to be provided by the new Harwich hospital; when the construction on it began; and what services are now available at the hospital.

Andy Burnham: This is a matter for the local national health service. However, the NHS East of England strategic health authority (SHA) reports that construction of the hospital was completed on 28 November 2005 and opened to patients on 16 August 2006. The SHA advises that the following services were planned and are available now:
	21 beds dedicated to the care of elderly;
	maternity services;
	minor injuries unit;
	rehabilitation unit; and
	outpatients and the x-ray service.
	The following services were planned but are not yet available, operating theatre, including minor surgery, and endoscopy suite; and the general practice medical centre.

Health Service Restructuring

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of redundancy costs of the restructuring of  (a) strategic health authorities,  (b) ambulance trusts and  (c) primary care trusts.

Andy Burnham: We have estimated that the redundancy costs arising from commissioning a patient led national health service would be in the order of £325 million. These figures are difficult to estimate and will only become firmer as new structures are put into place in the strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts.

Health Services: Northern Region

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the effect on levels of employment in the NHS in Lancashire and Cumbria of the introduction of clinical assessment, treat and support services.

Andy Burnham: NHS North West is working with local primary care trusts to assess and manage the impact on acute trusts of introducing clinical assessment, treatment and support services. This includes any possible impact on national health service staff.

Health Services: Northern Region

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she expects the public to be given the opportunity to comment on the involvement of the independent sector as part of the Cumbria/Lancashire clinical assessment, treat and support service public consultation.

Andy Burnham: The six primary care trusts in Cumbria and Lancashire are currently carrying out public consultation on the details of the local implementation of the clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services in the two counties. The consultation covers the locations of the CATS sites, the impact on the wider health services, how the CATS can fit seamlessly into the pathway from general practitioner referrer through to local hospitals treatment, and whether the clinical specialties proposed (orthopaedics, rheumatology, ear nose and throat, general surgery, urology and gynaecology) are the most appropriate.

Hospital Beds

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) average bed occupancy rate and  (b) total number of clinical beds available was in each month since May 2005 at (i) Edith Cavell hospital and (ii) Peterborough district hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the Peterborough and Stamford Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has 706 beds and the average bed occupancy rate in 2005-06 was 82.6 per cent. This includes all beds in day wards and wards open overnight. The trust does not provide any residential care beds.

Management Consultants

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid in fees to management consultants in the restructuring of the NHS; and what further expenditure on change consultants has been committed.

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally.
	It is a matter for the national health service locally to determine and manage health service provision and delivery.

Mental Health: Children

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the mental health of children whose parents are in prison.

Ivan Lewis: The report entitled 'Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners', produced by the Social Exclusion Unit in 2002, noted that the imprisonment of a parent can result in mental health problems for children.

Ministerial Visits

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which date each Minister in her Department visited  (a) any part of the Maudsley Hospital and (b) the 24 hour emergency clinic at the Maudsley Hospital in Southwark.

Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State and Ministers in the Department have not visited the Maudsley Hospital or the 24-hour emergency clinic at the Maudsley in Southwark.

Ministerial Visits

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times Ministers from her Department visited health services in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: It is custom for a Minister when preparing to make a visit within the United Kingdom (UK) to inform the hon. Members of the constituencies to be included within their itinerary.
	Information on ministerial visits within the UK dating back to 1997 is not collected centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust: Rheumatology

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the change in numbers of referrals to rheumatology departments in Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust following the introduction of clinical assessment, treat and support services;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect on the revenues of NHS hospital services of the introduction of clinical assessment, treat and support services.

Andy Burnham: The six primary care trusts (PCTs) in Cumbria and Lancashire are currently carrying out public consultation on the details of the local implementation of the clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services in the two counties. The consultation covers the locations of the CATS sites, the impact on the wider health services, how the CATS can fit seamlessly into the pathway from general practitioner referrer through to local hospitals treatment, and whether the clinical specialties proposed (orthopaedics, rheumatology, ear nose and throat, general surgery, urology and gynaecology) are the most appropriate. The PCTs are also undertaking a locality impact assessment of the CATS scheme on existing health service providers.

NHS Estate

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much land there is on the NHS estate, broken down by NHS trust; and how much was sold to developers in each year since 1997, broken down by trust.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.
	Data detailing how much land national health service trusts have sold to developers are not collected centrally.

NHS Maintenance Costs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1599W, on NHS maintenance costs, if she will provide a breakdown of the cost of backlog maintenance in 2005-06 by NHS organisation.

Andy Burnham: The information has been placed in the Library.
	Investment to reduce backlog maintenance will be prioritised locally based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources. The majority of the backlog maintenance relates to low priority work which will be undertaken through ongoing maintenance programmes. Where higher risks are present, work will be undertaken as a priority.
	The data are as provided by the national health service and have not been amended centrally. Their accuracy and completeness are the responsibility of the provider organisation.

NHS Service Level Agreements

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the expected outcomes from the NHS service level agreements are achieved.

Andy Burnham: We are not aware of any work on this.
	The new NHS Contract for acute hospital services was published in December 2006 and will be used in most national health service contractual agreements for 2007-08. The expectation is that the introduction of a standard set of documentation will bring greater transparency in both planning and performance against contracts during the course of the year.

NHS Services: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on service changes to  (a) speech and language therapy,  (b) incontinence pads,  (c) district nursing,  (d) family planning,  (e) podiatry,  (f) pharmacy services and  (g) chiropody services provided by Bexley Care Trust.

Andy Burnham: There have been no representations received on any of the subjects listed.

NHS Services: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received regarding NHS cuts in Bexley.

Andy Burnham: There have been three letters received from one hon. Member on this issue.
	In addition, a meeting took place between my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Thamesmead (John Austin) and the Secretary of State on 30 January 2007, where this issue was discussed.

NHS Services: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when her Department first held discussions with Netcare on the provision of clinical assessment, treatment and support services centres in Cumbria;
	(2)  which body was responsible for the selection of the sites for the proposed clinical assessment, treatment and support centres for Cumbria; and when such sites were selected;
	(3)  whether the proposed clinical assessment, treatment and support centres for Cumbria will be funded from new monies or existing budgets.

Andy Burnham: Phase two of the independent sector treatment centre programme was announced in May 2005 and any company was free to register an expression of interest, and complete the pre-qualifying questionnaire, which was issued in late August 2005. From these submissions, a short list of potential bidders was drawn up for each scheme. Bids were submitted and subsequently preferred bidders were appointed. In each case, bidders were invited to negotiate and meet specific criteria including clinical services, finance, workforce, information management and technology, and contract management.
	Netcare was selected as preferred bidder for the Cumbria and Lancashire clinical assessment, treatment and support service (CATS) scheme in August 2006. Locations of the CATS centres are still to be finalised and this is the subject of ongoing public consultation by primary care trusts (PCTs) in the North West. The services provided through the CATS scheme will be paid for by PCTs from their revenue allocations at national health service tariff or at costs equivalent to the NHS costs for such services.

NHS: Finance

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial position is of each  (a) hospital trust and  (b) foundation trust; what percentage of the market forces factor (MFF) was applied to income for tariff payments in each case; and what the value above the mean was that each trust gained as income as a result of the application of the MFF.

Andy Burnham: The published quarter two 2006-07 national health service finance report contains details of the financial position for NHS trusts at the end of 2005-06, and the latest quarter two forecast out-turn position for 2006-07. Copies are available in the Library.
	Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) is responsible for overseeing NHS foundation trusts, which includes monitoring their financial position. Monitor published their latest report outlining the year to date performance of the NHS foundation trusts sector on 12 December ("NHS Foundation Trusts: Report for six-month period to 30 September 2006"). Copies are available on its website at:
	www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk.
	The indices used to inform 2005-06 market force factor (MFF) payments for tariff activity have been placed in the Library.
	2005-06 payment by results MFF payments to trusts and foundation trusts have been placed in the Library.
	These payments reimburse trusts and foundation trusts for the unavoidable cost differences in providing services in different localities which are not included in the national tariff. For first wave NHS foundation trusts and early implementers of payment by results these payments covered elective, non-elective, outpatient and accident and emergency activity. For all other providers the payments in 2005-06 covered elective activity only.

Palliative Care

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to palliative care for 2006-07; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally. Primary Care Trusts are responsible for commissioning and funding palliative care services locally.
	However, we have delivered on the commitment set out in the 'NHS Cancer Plan' to provide an extra £50 million per annum for specialist palliative care by 2004. This additional funding is now recurrent in Primary Care Trust baseline allocations.

Patient Choice Schemes: Eastern Region

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the take up is of the choose and book system amongst primary care practices in each primary care trust in the East of England in the period for which figures have most recently been collected; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Uptake of choose and book amongst general practitioner (GP) practices in each primary care trust (PCT) in the East of England 
			  PCT name  Total GP practices( 1)  GP practices using choose and book( 2) 
			 North East Essex 44 37 
			 Norfolk 91 84 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching 27 24 
			 Bedfordshire 57 49 
			 Mid Essex 50 36 
			 Cambridgeshire 74 60 
			 South East Essex 69 57 
			 West Hertfordshire 65 52 
			 Luton 34 31 
			 Peterborough 33 26 
			 West Essex 40 29 
			 Suffolk 71 55 
			 South West Essex Teaching 84 45 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 62 33 
			 Total East of England PCTs 801 618 
			 (1) Total referring GP practices, as reported by the PCT in March 2006. (2) GP practices for which at least one live booking has been made through choose and book in the period 1 December 2006 to 29 January 2007. 
		
	
	National utilisation of choose and book currently stands at 37 per cent., (week ending 28 January 2007) with over 62,000 out-patient referrals booked through the service. While we are behind where we had originally anticipated in the "NHS Improvement Plan" and the choose and book full business case, the national health service has made significant progress and we are now confident that the emerging rate of implementation will see the continued roll out of choose and book through 2007. Latest figures show there are already PCTs with performance over 80 per cent., and a significant number of PCTs are achieving utilisation levels of over 50 per cent., which shows that it is possible to book the majority of referrals through the choose and book system.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the additional costs resulting from the organisational change in the primary care trust sector described in paragraph 3.6(a), page 4, of her Department's document NHS financial performance Quarter 2 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: The Department has estimated that redundancy costs arising from 'Commissioning a patient-led NHS' will be £325 million. These figures are difficult to estimate and will only become firmer as new structures are put into place in the strategic health authorities (SHAs), primary care trusts (PCTs) and ambulance trusts.
	The reconfiguration of PCTs and SHAs provides an opportunity to deliver savings by reducing the number of organisations and through the greater sharing of functions. By 2008, this reconfiguration is expected to deliver at least £250 million annual savings for re-investment in frontline services.
	In 2006-07, we have not collected separate information in respect of any additional costs of the organisational change.

Social Enterprise Pathfinders

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in determining social enterprise pathfinder programme areas.

Ivan Lewis: Pathfinder applications were initially sifted at the Department against three broad criteria:
	was it proposing a social enterprise business model?
	did the proposal have commitment from a commissioner, or a viable commercial financial model?
	was the proposal for a new service in health and social care or a new way of providing an existing service?
	They were then passed to the strategic health authorities for regional assessment against the following criteria:
	is there a clear sense of vision and purpose in the proposal?
	do the services proposed meet a gap in current provision?
	do the services proposed improve on current provision?
	is there a sense of innovation in the proposal?
	do the services proposed fit strategically with the local health and social care economy?
	have clients been involved, or will be involved, in contributing to the design of services?
	have staff been involved, or will be involved, in contributing to the design of services?
	are there plans to involve stakeholders?
	are robust governance arrangements planned or in place?
	is there a sense that there is sufficient management capability in the organisation?
	is there explicit commissioner support for the application, or a clear demonstration that the scheme will be financially viable?

Staff Magazine

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2007,  Official Report, column 69W, on the staff magazine, if she will place in the Library the copies of Link which have been published in each month since May 2006.

Ivan Lewis: Copies of Link have been placed in the Library.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Fraud

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on advertising in respect of benefit fraud in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department of Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment, and the Employment Service. Information prior to 2001 is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Advertising expenditure in respect of benefit fraud is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Advertising spend (£000) 
			 2001-02 8,039 
			 2002-03 35 
			 2003-04 8,383 
			 2004-05 6,017 
			 2005-06 7,042 
			 2006-07(1) 2,517 
			 (1) The figure for 2006-07 represents advertising spend to date.  Notes 1. Figures are for the advertising spend on the Targeting Fraud (2001 to 2002) and Targeting Benefit Fraud (2003 to 2006) campaigns. 2. During 2002-03 there was no national campaign advertising. The figure Radio advertising to support ministerial visits. 3. All figures are exclusive of VAT. 4. The figures refer to media spend only, excluding production and other costs. 5. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

Benefit Fraud

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what working estimate was used by his Department for housing benefit fraud in each year since 1998; and what the level of detected housing benefit fraud was in each year.

James Plaskitt: The level of housing benefit overpaid due to fraud has been estimated from 2002-03 onwards and reported as National Statistics. The estimates are derived from the Housing Benefit Review an annual sample audit surveying between 10,000 and 14,000 housing benefit claimants. They are published in a series of reports called "Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit". Copies are available in the Library. Comparable information is not available prior to this.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total  (a) number and  (b) cost of bonuses paid to staff at the Child Support Agency were in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right. hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 February 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total (a) number and (b) cost of bonuses paid to staff at the Child Support Agency were in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.
	There is no information available from the period 1997-2000 as this falls outside of the statutory requirements to keep accounting records that at present are mandated as six years.
	The Child Support Agency is part of the Department for Work and Pensions and operates Departmental bonus schemes. Over the period 2001 to 2006, three separate schemes for payment of bonuses have operated within the Child Support Agency.
	The attached table highlights the amounts paid as Special Bonuses, Makinson bonuses and Individual Performance Bonuses, and the number of separate payments made to individual members of staff as Special Bonuses and Makinson bonuses, between 2001-02 and 2005-06.
	The special bonus scheme and individual performance bonuses operated for the entire period within all parts of the Department of Work and Pensions. The guidelines, policy funding and framework for these schemes are set Departmentally.
	The Makinson bonus scheme was undertaken as part of a Treasury initiative to incentivise performance in the public sector by linking performance to reward. This scheme only ran for 2002-03 and 2003-04 and was trialled in three parts of the Department, one of which was the Child Support Agency. Incentive payments made under this scheme were funded directly by the Treasury.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Sums paid as special bonuses, Makinson bonuses and individual performance bonuses between 2001-02 and 2005-06 
			  £ 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Total special bonus paid 395,000 457,000 455,000 450,000 559,000 
			 Total Makinson bonus paid — 9,190,000 3,440,000 — — 
			 Total individual performance paid 420,000 1,793,000 1,870,000 3,318,000 3,314,000 
			 Total—all bonuses 815,000 11,440,000 5,765,000 3,768,000 3,873,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of individual staff members who benefited from special bonuses, Makinson bonuses or individual performance bonuses between 2001-02 and 2005-06 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Number of special bonus payments made to individual members of staff 3,031 3,292 3,187 3,146 3,464 
			 Number of Makinson payments made to individual members of staff — 11,212 11,134 — — 
			 Numbers of individual performance bonuses made to individual members of staff 10,229 11,110 11,032 10,237 10,915

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the total amount paid in bonus payments to staff at the Child Support Agency in each year since 2001.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 February 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the total amount paid in bonus payments to staff at the Child Support Agency in each year since 2001.
	The Child Support Agency is part of the Department for Work and Pensions and operates Departmental bonus schemes. Over the period from 2001 to 2006, three separate schemes for payment of bonuses have operated within the Child Support Agency.
	(1) Special Bonus—This scheme operated throughout 2001-2006. An individual may be awarded a one-off bonus outside the annual reward performance and development system exercise to recognise and reward exceptional personal achievement. This scheme operates in line with Treasury guidance and the payments in any one year are limited to 0.25% of the staffing budget.
	(2) Individual Performance Bonus—Bonuses linked to annual appraisal markings were available throughout the period 2001-2006. The Agency had no separate budget for these bonuses. The overall funding available, and the size of the individual bonuses, were determined through discussions with the Treasury about the DWP's pay remit, and then through negotiations with the unions.
	(3) Makinson—This scheme only operated in 2002 and 2003. It was funded directly by the Treasury and lay outside of the spending review settlement.
	The attached table highlights the amounts paid as Special Bonuses, Makinson bonuses and Individual Performance Bonuses for each of the last five years.
	The special bonus scheme and individual performance bonuses operated for the entire period within all parts of the Department for Work and Pensions. The guidelines, policy, funding and framework for theses scheme are set Departmentally.
	The Makinson bonus scheme was undertaken as part of a Treasury initiative to incentivise performance in the public sector by linking performance to reward. This scheme only ran for 2002-03 and 2003-04 and was trialled in three parts of the Department, one of which was the Child Support Agency.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Sums paid as Special Bonuses, Makinson Bonuses and Individual Performance Bonuses for each of the last five years 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Total Special Bonus paid (£000) 395 457 455 450 559 
			 Total Makinson Bonus paid (£000) — 9,190 3,440 — — 
			 Total Individual Performance Bonus paid (£000) 420 1,793 1,870 3,318 3,314 
			 Total—all bonuses (£000) 815 11,440 5,765 3,768 3,873 
			 CSA total staffing cost (£000) 181,501 209,984 215,551 218,869 239,553 
			 Bonuses as a percentage of total staffing costs 0.4 5.4 2.7 1.7 1.6

Child Support Agency

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many uncleared Child Support Agency applications there were in each month since May 1997, broken down by London borough; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 February 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many uncleared Child Support Agency applications there were in each month since May 1997 broken down by London borough; and if he will make a statement.
	I am sorry that it is not possible to provide all the information you have requested as the computer system in use from 1993 does not hold data at the level of individual boroughs for uncleared cases. It is possible to provide data held on the new computer system introduced in March 2003 at the level you request and this is shown in the attached tables. However as the two computer systems continue to run in parallel, the information provided does not present a complete picture of the total number of uncleared cases by London borough, nor is it representative of trends over the period. For example, whilst the figures provided imply a significant increase in the volumes of uncleared cases by London borough, it should be remembered that the majority of cases at the beginning of the period were actually on the old scheme and the old computer system, and hence not covered in the attached table.
	At a national level the total volume of uncleared applications was 334,500 in May 1999, the earliest month for which data is available, and this has fallen to 238,400 in December 2006. The Agency recognises that while the number of uncleared applications has fallen significantly, it remains unacceptably high, and our challenge, as set out in our Operational Improvement Plan, is that the Agency should not have a backlog in this area by March 2009.
	I hope you find this answer helpful despite my being unable to answer your question in full.
	
		
			  Number of uncleared applications in each London borough (both new and old scheme applications on the new computer system only), from March 2003 to December 2006 
			   2003 
			   March  April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 10 30 40 80 160 190 220 250 280 340 
			 Barnet 20 40 60 80 110 110 130 200 210 200 
			 Bexley 20 30 60 80 110 130 140 180 210 230 
			 Brent 10 10 30 40 70 100 160 220 260 280 
			 Bromley 20 50 90 140 180 190 200 220 260 280 
			 Camden 10 10 20 60 110 140 160 180 210 220 
			 Croydon 30 70 120 170 260 280 330 370 440 500 
			 Ealing 10 30 70 100 150 180 230 270 310 320 
			 Enfield 20 30 50 90 140 160 190 260 300 330 
			 Greenwich 20 40 60 90 140 170 210 290 340 380 
			 Hackney 20 20 40 50 70 80 100 130 240 240 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10 20 40 70 110 130 170 190 210 230 
			 Haringey 10 30 60 130 200 250 280 320 380 400 
			 Harrow 10 20 30 40 60 80 90 140 160 160 
			 Havering 20 40 60 70 100 130 130 150 180 180 
			 Hillingdon 20 30 40 50 100 110 140 170 190 220 
			 Hounslow 20 40 70 80 130 170 210 230 250 260 
			 Islington 10 20 30 60 90 110 130 140 180 180 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 10 30 40 70 80 100 110 140 140 
			 Kingston upon Thames 10 20 30 40 40 50 50 70 70 70 
			 Lambeth 20 70 120 160 270 330 370 450 550 590 
			 Lewisham 20 60 120 150 230 260 300 340 400 410 
			 Merton 10 20 40 70 100 120 130 150 170 180 
			 Newham 10 30 60 90 180 210 250 320 400 410 
			 Redbridge 20 20 40 60 60 80 100 110 140 160 
			 Richmond upon Thames 10 20 30 40 60 60 70 70 60 70 
			 Southwark 10 70 100 160 250 280 310 370 450 470 
			 Sutton 10 30 40 60 90 100 120 130 160 170 
			 Tower Hamlets 10 30 50 60 120 140 140 160 170 180 
			 Waltham Forest 20 40 50 60 70 90 120 160 190 200 
			 Wandsworth 20 50 80 100 150 170 190 250 300 340 
			 Westminster 0 10 20 60 90 110 140 160 180 180 
			
			  London total  460  1,030  1,750  2,590  4,050  4,770  5,570  6,740  7,960  8,500 
		
	
	
		
			   2004 
			   January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 410 480 570 590 680 730 
			 Barnet 230 250 260 280 320 380 
			 Bexley 250 290 320 340 380 410 
			 Brent 310 340 350 370 420 450 
			 Bromley 330 360 430 480 540 590 
			 Camden 240 280 340 370 400 420 
			 Croydon 560 660 740 800 900 930 
			 Ealing 350 390 430 430 460 480 
			 Enfield 370 430 510 540 600 620 
			 Greenwich 410 480 600 640 720 770 
			 Hackney 270 310 370 400 430 460 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 240 270 310 340 360 390 
			 Haringey 430 490 550 590 650 670 
			 Harrow 180 210 240 250 280 310 
			 Havering 180 200 220 240 280 310 
			 Hillingdon 240 280 320 340 390 440 
			 Hounslow 290 320 340 400 430 460 
			 Islington 200 240 280 310 350 380 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 150 170 190 200 220 230 
			 Kingston upon Thames 80 80 100 100 120 120 
			 Lambeth 670 750 850 870 990 1070 
			 Lewisham 440 490 550 600 700 800 
			 Merton 200 220 250 280 330 350 
			 Newham 450 490 570 600 630 640 
			 Redbridge 220 280 330 340 390 410 
			 Richmond upon Thames 80 80 100 120 130 140 
			 Southwark 540 590 680 710 810 870 
			 Sutton 190 200 210 230 260 280 
			 Tower Hamlets 190 220 250 260 290 290 
			 Waltham Forest 250 300 380 410 470 500 
			 Wandsworth 380 430 520 550 610 660 
			 Westminster 190 240 270 290 330 330 
			
			  London total  9,480  10,800  1,2430  13,250  14,830  15,870 
		
	
	
		
			   2004 
			   July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 770 810 840 880 900 920 
			 Barnet 400 430 450 470 500 490 
			 Bexley 440 470 510 550 610 610 
			 Brent 480 490 500 520 540 550 
			 Bromley 640 670 710 770 800 830 
			 Camden 460 470 480 490 520 550 
			 Croydon 960 960 1,020 1,090 1,180 1,220 
			 Ealing 510 510 540 560 590 610 
			 Enfield 620 630 640 650 670 670 
			 Greenwich 810 850 880 920 980 1,010 
			 Hackney 470 530 580 620 660 660 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 420 440 460 480 510 520 
			 Haringey 680 700 730 740 770 780 
			 Harrow 320 340 350 370 420 420 
			 Havering 330 350 370 410 430 440 
			 Hillingdon 460 480 510 550 630 660 
			 Hounslow 520 560 590 650 700 690 
			 Islington 420 450 500 540 600 630 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 240 250 250 270 280 280 
			 Kingston upon Thames 140 140 160 170 180 180 
			 Lambeth 1,100 1,150 1,180 1,280 1,350 1,360 
			 Lewisham 840 890 950 1,040 1,150 1,170 
			 Merton 370 390 400 440 460 470 
			 Newham 660 670 700 730 740 760 
			 Redbridge 450 460 510 530 600 600 
			 Richmond upon Thames 150 170 180 200 210 210 
			 Southwark 920 1,000 1,070 1,150 1,220 1,250 
			 Sutton 290 300 330 370 380 390 
			 Tower Hamlets 300 310 330 340 350 370 
			 Waltham Forest 530 560 580 610 630 630 
			 Wandsworth 720 730 770 800 850 860 
			 Westminster 350 360 390 390 420 430 
			
			  London total  16,750  17,530  18,480  19,550  20,830  21,210 
		
	
	
		
			   2005 
			   January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 950 1000 980 980 1030 1040 
			 Barnet 500 490 520 520 540 640 
			 Bexley 630 670 660 640 650 650 
			 Brent 550 560 550 570 580 610 
			 Bromley 860 920 920 930 930 930 
			 Camden 540 550 550 570 600 600 
			 Croydon 1,260 1,380 1,410 1,480 1,520 1,580 
			 Ealing 640 670 710 760 780 770 
			 Enfield 680 680 720 730 740 810 
			 Greenwich 1,010 1,050 1,070 1,100 1,130 1,140 
			 Hackney 680 740 740 740 750 750 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 540 540 530 560 570 580 
			 Haringey 780 770 800 800 800 810 
			 Harrow 420 430 440 440 450 460 
			 Havering 450 490 480 490 500 530 
			 Hillingdon 670 680 680 670 680 700 
			 Hounslow 700 690 700 710 750 740 
			 Islington 660 680 720 740 770 770 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 290 290 310 310 310 310 
			 Kingston upon Thames 190 200 200 200 210 210 
			 Lambeth 1,410 1,490 1,500 1,540 1,610 1,670 
			 Lewisham 1,180 1,250 1,240 1,290 1,330 1,310 
			 Merton 480 530 560 540 540 560 
			 Newham 780 860 850 870 920 960 
			 Redbridge 630 660 680 750 760 780 
			 Richmond upon Thames 220 230 230 230 230 210 
			 Southwark 1,290 1,320 1,310 1,360 1,430 1,450 
			 Sutton 400 440 460 480 490 500 
			 Tower Hamlets 400 450 450 450 450 460 
			 Waltham Forest 630 670 670 710 710 720 
			 Wandsworth 860 900 900 890 920 930 
			 Westminster 440 440 450 470 470 460 
			
			  London total  21,720  22,710  22,970  23,520  24,120  24,640 
		
	
	
		
			   2005 
			   July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1040 1000 980 960 930 890 
			 Barnet 700 670 630 610 580 590 
			 Bexley 670 680 680 670 650 650 
			 Brent 620 630 620 640 640 630 
			 Bromley 900 890 860 810 780 770 
			 Camden 590 550 530 520 500 490 
			 Croydon 1,590 1,540 1,550 1,510 1,520 1,470 
			 Ealing 770 770 760 760 740 710 
			 Enfield 920 930 930 910 850 870 
			 Greenwich 1,130 1,090 1,060 1,060 1,070 1,050 
			 Hackney 730 720 700 690 680 650 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 590 580 580 570 550 530 
			 Haringey 880 880 880 870 820 840 
			 Harrow 470 480 530 520 510 490 
			 Havering 540 520 500 490 470 450 
			 Hillingdon 710 710 790 800 780 780 
			 Hounslow 710 680 640 630 600 580 
			 Islington 770 740 720 700 680 650 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 320 310 310 300 290 270 
			 Kingston upon Thames 210 210 210 200 190 180 
			 Lambeth 1,690 1,660 1,640 1,620 1,590 1,580 
			 Lewisham 1,320 1,280 1,300 1,270 1,230 1,190 
			 Merton 570 540 540 530 520 500 
			 Newham 980 940 910 930 910 870 
			 Redbridge 820 790 790 770 760 730 
			 Richmond upon Thames 210 210 210 210 200 180 
			 Southwark 1,490 1,460 1,450 1,480 1,450 1,440 
			 Sutton 520 500 520 520 500 470 
			 Tower Hamlets 470 450 450 460 440 420 
			 Waltham Forest 740 700 680 680 660 630 
			 Wandsworth 920 900 890 870 840 860 
			 Westminster 470 460 430 420 390 380 
			
			  London total  25,030  24,480  24,260  23,970  23,320  22,800 
		
	
	
		
			   2006 
			   January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 880 850 850 840 860 850 
			 Barnet 620 630 600 640 630 660 
			 Bexley 650 660 650 630 610 600 
			 Brent 610 660 670 670 660 640 
			 Bromley 740 750 740 720 700 690 
			 Camden 480 460 460 470 450 450 
			 Croydon 1,430 1,390 1,380 1,350 1,340 1360 
			 Ealing 730 720 740 750 740 730 
			 Enfield 840 840 810 890 970 990 
			 Greenwich 1,000 1,010 970 940 900 920 
			 Hackney 660 740 810 830 790 770 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 540 520 510 510 500 490 
			 Haringey 800 770 780 880 920 890 
			 Harrow 510 540 520 510 480 460 
			 Havering 450 460 450 470 480 460 
			 Hillingdon 790 850 820 770 750 740 
			 Hounslow 610 590 580 620 610 600 
			 Islington 650 650 660 690 670 640 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 280 260 260 260 260 260 
			 Kingston upon Thames 180 200 210 200 200 190 
			 Lambeth 1,550 1,550 1,480 1,440 1,410 1,400 
			 Lewisham 1,180 1,180 1,130 1,090 1,050 1,030 
			 Merton 490 470 450 450 420 440 
			 Newham 860 920 920 900 870 880 
			 Redbridge 730 730 720 700 720 730 
			 Richmond upon Thames 180 190 180 170 170 170 
			 Southwark 1,390 1,340 1,320 1,280 1,200 1,180 
			 Sutton 450 430 430 430 430 430 
			 Tower Hamlets 430 500 570 580 560 560 
			 Waltham Forest 640 640 660 660 740 750 
			 Wandsworth 840 850 810 790 770 740 
			 Westminster 390 380 370 380 380 380 
			
			  London total  22,560  22,720  22,500  22,500  22,230  22,080 
		
	
	
		
			   2006 
			   July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 City of London 10 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 830 800 780 780 770 790 
			 Barnet 660 640 620 620 630 610 
			 Bexley 610 610 580 580 590 560 
			 Brent 620 580 560 550 540 530 
			 Bromley 690 670 660 650 630 620 
			 Camden 450 440 420 420 410 430 
			 Croydon 1,360 1,310 1,280 1,290 1,280 1,270 
			 Ealing 710 700 690 670 670 710 
			 Enfield 980 960 920 880 870 880 
			 Greenwich 960 960 940 920 920 900 
			 Hackney 750 720 700 670 650 640 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 490 470 460 440 420 440 
			 Haringey 890 850 820 810 810 800 
			 Harrow 450 430 420 390 390 390 
			 Havering 440 440 410 420 430 440 
			 Hillingdon 710 720 710 690 670 680 
			 Hounslow 610 600 590 590 600 640 
			 Islington 640 620 590 580 590 600 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 250 240 240 220 220 230 
			 Kingston upon Thames 180 170 170 170 160 160 
			 Lambeth 1,370 1,340 1,320 1,300 1,310 1,280 
			 Lewisham 990 990 950 940 930 930 
			 Merton 440 430 420 400 410 410 
			 Newham 860 790 760 770 730 710 
			 Redbridge 730 710 700 690 680 680 
			 Richmond upon Thames 170 150 150 150 160 150 
			 Southwark 1,170 1,140 1,120 1,080 1,080 1,090 
			 Sutton 420 410 400 400 400 390 
			 Tower Hamlets 550 560 540 510 510 510 
			 Waltham Forest 750 720 720 710 700 710 
			 Wandsworth 720 720 710 680 690 700 
			 Westminster 370 350 340 340 340 350 
			
			  London total  21,820  21,230  20,680  20,310  20,170  20,230 
			  Notes: 1. A potential new application is cleared when it: has had a calculation and a payment arrangement set up (new scheme only); has had an assessment (old scheme only); has been closed (both schemes); has been identified as having had a good cause decision accepted (both schemes); has been identified as being subject to a reduced benefit decision (both schemes); has been identified as a change of circumstances to an existing case, as opposed to a new application (new scheme only). An application remains uncleared until it achieves one of the states above. It should be noted that that an uncleared application is not necessarily the same as an unprocessed one. As such, uncleared applications will be at varying stages in the application processes, with very few being completely unprocessed. 2. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. '-' indicates a figure less than five. 3. This table counts applications for child support. Not all applications become live cases. It is not possible to quantify the extent to which the Agency's clerical new-scheme caseload is or is not included in the above numbers.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the maximum budget available for bonus payments to employees of the Child Support Agency was in each year since 2001; and what the total amount of bonuses paid out to employees of the Agency was in each such year;
	(2)  what quotas are set for the  (a) number of people and  (b) proportion of the pay budget in the Child Support Agency for bonus payments in any one year.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 8 February 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:
	what the maximum budget available for bonus payments to employees of the Child Support Agency was in each year since 2001; and what the total amount of bonuses paid out to employees of the Agency was in each such year. (102198); and
	what quotas are set for the (a) number of people and (b) proportion of the pay budget in the Child Support Agency in relation to bonus payments in any one year. (102200)
	The Child Support Agency is part of the Department for Work and Pensions and operates Departmental schemes. Over the period from 2001 to 2006 three separate schemes for payment of bonuses have operated within the Child Support Agency. All Agency people have been eligible for a payment under these schemes. Each of the three schemes have different criteria on how a bonus can be earned and the percentage of the pay budget that can be applied to it.
	 Special Bonus—This scheme operated throughout 2001-2006. An individual may be awarded a one-off bonus outside the annual reward performance and development system exercise to recognise and reward exceptional personal achievement. This scheme operates in line with Treasury guidance and the payments in any one-year are limited to 0.25% of the staffing budget.
	 Individual Performance Bonus—Bonuses linked to annual appraisal markings were available throughout the period 2001-2006. The overall funding available, and the size of the individual bonuses, were determined through discussions with the Treasury about the DWP's pay remit, and then through negotiations with the unions. The Agency had no separate budget for these bonuses.
	 Makinson—This scheme only operated in 2002 and 2003, was funded directly by the Treasury and lay outside of the spending review settlement. The total estimated funding available was £9.8m in both 2002 and 2003. In 2002 teams across the Agency earned 93% of the bonus available. In 2003 the stretched target regime was based on new scheme performance, which was below expectations and only 35% of the available bonus was earned.
	The special bonus scheme and individual performance bonuses operated for the entire period within all parts of the Department of Work and Pensions. The guidelines policy funding and framework for theses scheme is set Departmentally.
	The Makinson bonus scheme was undertaken as part of a Treasury initiative to incentivise performance in the public sector by linking performance to reward. This scheme only ran for 2002-03 and 2003-04 and was trialed in three parts of the Department one of which was the Child Support Agency.
	The attached table shows the sums paid as Special Bonuses, and Makinson bonuses and the available budget for each of the last five years.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Special bonus total available budget (£000) 454 525 539 547 599 
			 Total special bonus paid (£000) 395 457 455 450 559 
			 Total Makinson bonus available budget (£000) — 9,850 9,829 — — 
			 Total Makinson bonus paid (£000) — 9,190 3,440 — — 
			 Total special bonus and Makinson bonus available budget (£000) 454 10,375 10,368 547 599 
			 Total special bonus and Makinson bonus paid (£000) 395 9,647 3,895 450 559 
			 CSA total staffing costs (£000) 181,501 209,984 215,551 218,869 239,553 
			 Bonuses as a percentage of total staffing costs 0.2 4.6 1.8 0.2 0.2

Debt Manager System

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many customer overpayment debt records remain to be inputted into the debt manager system.

James Plaskitt: There are no customer records that were due to be transferred to the debt manager system outstanding since the system's inception.
	There is a normal head of work awaiting input to debt manager, representing approximately four weeks worth of new records.

Departmental Energy Policy

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to make his Department carbon neutral.

Anne McGuire: This Department is committed and actively seeking to reduce carbon emissions in line with the Government target to become carbon neutral by 2012.
	Working with our estates Partners—Land Securities Trillium—a number of ways to reduce energy consumption are being explored including the installation of energy efficient equipment across the estate and improved metering and reporting to improve issue resolution. Using available Government funding this Department and Land Securities Trillium are initiating long-term energy saving measures, including Combined Heat and Power (CHP) installations and biomass boilers.
	The Department is also actively reducing business travel, in particular the vehicle fleet and mileage, encouraging businesses to consider telekit and video conferencing as an alternative to travel. The Department has also committed to taking part in the Government Carbon Offsetting Scheme to offset carbon emissions from Departmental business air travel.
	On energy, this Department has an excellent record for using renewable electricity, currently 48 per cent. against the target of 10 per cent. We are seeking viable opportunities to generate our own renewable supplies.

EMI Group

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions in the last 12 months officials from his Department have met representatives from EMI Group; and what the purpose was of each meeting.

Anne McGuire: I have no means of establishing with certainty in a department of over 100,000 people if any officials met with representatives from the EMI group in the last 12 months.

European Social Fund

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much from the European social fund was spent on projects based in London in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006; and how much is planned to be spent in 2007;

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much funding from the European social fund was spent on projects based in London in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006; how much is planned to be spent in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: European social fund (ESF) expenditure in London was £67,326,238 in 2005, and £83,642,498 in 2006. The target for ESF spending in London in 2007 is £77,450,422.

Home Responsibilities Protection

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average number of years of home responsibilities protection (HRP) claimed by women who retired in  (a) 1985-86,  (b) 1995-96 and  (c) 2005-06, excluding those women who did not receive HRP.

James Purnell: holding answer 25 January 2007
	The estimated average number of years of home responsibilities protection (HRP) received by women aged 60 in  (a) 1985-86 is three years,  (b) 1995-96 is six years, and  (c) 2005-06 is nine years.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number and exclude those women who did not receive home responsibilities protection (HRP).
	2. Figures refer to those women living in the UK and overseas.
	3. Some women who reach state pension age in a particular year with some entitlement to basic state pension may defer their entitlement and claim in a later year.
	 Source
	Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2003-04

Housing

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what housing benefit expenditure was in each local authority area in London in each of the last five years at 2006 prices.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure in London local authorities 
			  £ million (2006-07 prices) 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 City of London 4.740 5.300 5.047 5.044 5.181 
			 Camden 133.127 148.950 140.189 150.169 150.487 
			 Greenwich 92.698 93.476 95.133 99.090 102.604 
			 Hackney 174.720 171.793 150.907 185.937 179.929 
			 Hammersmith 88.468 97.099 95.623 103.011 109.151 
			 Islington 123.115 131.623 129.172 137.024 138.875 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 76.814 85.512 84.193 93.371 99.359 
			 Lambeth 145.962 161.948 153.799 170.287 179.159 
			 Lewisham 106.316 115.635 107.830 120.125 130.739 
			 Southwark 136.447 145.982 138.573 145.404 150.291 
			 Tower Hamlets 132.638 145.275 146.664 156.377 163.800 
			 Wandsworth 104.614 111.057 115.494 120.439 132.106 
			 Westminster 140.477 149.897 150.005 167.744 179.254 
			 Barking 56.225 58.924 60.315 67.026 73.499 
			 Barnet 96.835 106.443 112.789 126.462 133.643 
			 Bexley 43.217 44.418 46.286 50.203 54.152 
			 Brent 142.615 157.922 158.136 172.551 181.895 
			 Bromley 60.360 64.177 68.322 69.563 74.378 
			 Croydon 107.009 112.938 113.277 124.332 134.685 
			 Ealing 111.171 117.147 119.848 131.977 145.217 
			 Enfield 104.631 116.898 117.463 133.662 149.034 
			 Haringey 151.200 164.115 161.930 181.725 198.335 
			 Harrow 59.110 65.095 70.192 76.178 79.986 
			 Havering 35.691 36.709 36.833 38.916 42.313 
			 Hillingdon 69.688 77.256 81.032 86.252 91.296 
			 Hounslow 63.732 71.229 73.076 77.875 83.360 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 30.734 34.380 35.257 36.989 39.638 
			 Merton 39.907 42.720 44.431 47.436 50.625 
			 Newham 153.406 171.990 178.702 200.452 226.099 
			 Redbridge 66.349 71.494 74.175 86.038 95.272 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 36.231 38.971 40.043 42.208 42.866 
			 Sutton 34.702 37.690 37.722 40.351 43.503 
			 Waltham Forest 88.659 92.159 91.854 102.270 108.302 
			  Notes: 1. Expenditure data is taken from local authorities' subsidy returns. 2. All figures are final audited data with the exception of 2005-06 which is provisional (pre-audited) data and so may be subject to change. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. 4. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Housing

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what housing benefit expenditure was on households in temporary accommodation in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure on households in temporary accommodation 
			  £ million 
			   Nominal  Real terms (2006-07 prices) 
			 1997-98 99 123 
			 1998-99 131 158 
			 1999-2000 157 185 
			 2000-01 179 209 
			 2001-02 239 272 
			 2002-03 306 338 
			 2003-04 372 399 
			 2004-05 499 521 
			 2005-06 597 612 
			  Notes: 1. Expenditure data are taken from local authorities' subsidy returns. 2. All figures are final audited data with the exception of 2005-06 which is provisional (pre-audited) data. 3. GDP deflator is the latest available as at 5 pm on 2 November 2006, last updated 27 September 2006, and is taken from: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/gdp_deflators/data_gdp/fig.cfm 4. Due to historical differences in the treatment of Scottish rent rebate expenditure, it is not possible from local authority subsidy returns to identify all expenditure on temporary accommodation in Scotland. These figures may therefore slightly understate temporary accommodation expenditure. From an assessment of the England and Wales data, we estimated that this understatement would be of the order of £1-2 million.

Incapacity Benefit

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes were made to the mobility needs assessment required for the  (a) lower,  (b) middle and  (c) higher rate of care component of incapacity benefit to be paid in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: Incapacity benefit does not have a care component. No changes have been made to the assessment criteria for entitlement to the care component of disability living allowance in the last three years.

Incapacity Benefit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how many weeks linking rules apply to housing benefit for those claimants who might be eligible under the Government's 104 week linking rules applying to incapacity benefit when returning to work.

James Plaskitt: The 104 week linking rules which may apply to incapacity benefit claimants when returning to work can also be applied to recipients of the disability premium in claims for housing benefit.

Job-retention Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the performance of job-retention services pilot schemes for employees with mental health problems.

Jim Murphy: Final results from the job retention and rehabilitation pilot are published in DWP research report 339: "Experiences of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot" and DWP report 342: "Impacts of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot", which are available in the Library.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed jobseeker's allowance in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants in the Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside Metropolitan borough council, Government Office for the North East region and the UK; at December each year, 1997-2006 
			  Date  Jarrow  South Tyneside  North East  UK 
			 1997 2,829 6,460 87,155 1,391,380 
			 1998 2,904 6,635 81,933 1,293,559 
			 1999 2,582 6,035 73,934 1,140,584 
			 2000 2,401 5,531 67,425 1,011,430 
			 2001 2,408 5,659 61,684 948,460 
			 2002 2,138 5,049 54,577 919,089 
			 2003 1,801 4,243 49,969 889,717 
			 2004 1,778 4,055 44,269 810,193 
			 2005 1,752 3,953 46,883 892,711 
			 2006 1,990 4,484 51,285 923,460 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five, 2. Figures include clerically held cases.  Source:  100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.

Jobseeker's Allowance and Incapacity Benefit

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people ending a claim for jobseeker's allowance of duration of  (a) three to six,  (b) six to 12 and  (c) 12 months or more in the most recent year for which figures are available moved back into work; and how many there were (i) in total, (ii) aged 25 to 49 and (iii) aged over 50 years.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Proportion of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants within each duration range who entered into a job within six weeks of their claim ending 
			  Duration of JSA claim  Percentage 
			 3 to 6 months 52 
			 6 to 12 months 43 
			 Over 12 months 34 
			  Notes: 1. The information is for JSA claims which end between April 2005 and March 2006. 2. Job entries that start within six weeks of the end of the JSA claim are included. 3. The job entries in the table are derived from two sources of information (i) the reason given by the claimant for ending their claim and (ii) job entries notified to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. There may be additional job entries that we do not know about.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Take-up

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) of working age and  (b) aged under 25 years claimed jobseeker's allowance in each month since 1996; and how many re-applied for the allowance within six months of having previously ceased drawing the benefit.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information has been placed in the Library.

Loans and Grants

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department paid out in  (a) loans and  (b) grants to people to pay for (i) furniture and (ii) white goods in 2005-06; and what systems his Department has in place to ensure that payment for these items is spent as intended.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Estimate gross expenditure in Great Britain in 2005-06 
			  (£ million) 
			  Category  Crisis loans  Community care grants 
			 Beds 7 25 
			 Cookers 10 22 
			 Washing machines 2 13 
			 Miscellaneous household items excluding bedding and floor coverings 5 31 
			 Source: DWP Social fund policy, budget and management information system. 
		
	
	There are no systems in place to check how applicants spend the award of a repayable loan or community care grant. In 2005-06 there with over 2.5 million such awards in total. The administrative cost of policing these awards is prohibitive, and in any case loans are fully repayable. It is the responsibility of the customer to use the loan or grant appropriately. Exceptionally, the decision maker may decide to make payment to a third party who can provide, or arrange for the provision of, the items covered by the award.
	Each of the three discretionary social fund payments—community care grants, budgeting loans, crisis loans—has its own application form. The form is designed to obtain from the applicant the type of information needed to make an initial decision for that particular payment type.
	The focus of each form is therefore different—for example the crisis loan process elicits information about the emergency or disaster, whilst the community care grant process focuses on where a grant will help to cope with special difficulties and promote community care.
	Each application contains a declaration that the information given is correct and complete as far as the applicant knows and believes. And a declaration of understanding that if incorrect or incomplete information is given, there is a liability to prosecution or other action.

Maladministration: Payments

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his letter of 1 February 2007 reference POS(5)10535/102 regarding Miss Hinkley of Totnes, if he will list the documents which were incorrectly filed; what effect the misfiling of the documents had on the refund due to Miss Hinkley; if he will take steps to ensure that such filing errors are avoided in future; and if he will repay the interest forgone by Miss Hinkley and compensate her for her loss and inconvenience.

James Plaskitt: I will write to the hon. Member regarding the specific circumstances of the case he raises.

National Insurance Numbers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) bogus and  (b) surplus national insurance numbers.

James Plaskitt: None of the national insurance numbers (NINOs) held on the DWP Customer Information System database can be categorised as bogus or surplus. All NINOs have to conform to a standard format and are tested against validation criteria held within the NINO database.

Overpaid Benefits

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's procedure is for claiming back overpaid state pensions and benefits from the estate of claimants who have died; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Recovery of overpayments of benefit are sought from the Representative dealing with the deceased's estate. If there is no estate, or insufficient in the estate to make full repayment, the balance will be written off.
	Where benefit has continued to be paid after death directly into the deceased's account, recovery is normally sought, in the first instance, from the account provider.
	Due to the sensitivities in dealing with a personal representative of the deceased, an approach to them would not normally be made within three weeks of a death.

Parliamentary Questions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer question number 104865, tabled on 7 December 2006.

James Plaskitt: I replied to the hon. Member on 10 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 643-44W.

Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the amounts which trustees of the pensions scheme which have already completed winding up and for whom annual payments have started have charged each scheme, per member, for registering, qualifying and liaising with Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) staff and for submitting data and completing application forms for FAS payments;
	(2)  what the average cost incurred by those independent trustees who have been asked to provide information on the costs which they have charged to pension schemes as a result of complying with the notification, qualification and member registration criteria of the Financial Assistance Scheme was for each pension scheme;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the average reductions in pension for non-qualifying scheme members as a result of trustees charging for providing information to notify, qualify and apply for payments for qualifying members under the Financial Assistance Scheme.

James Purnell: The information is not available in the form requested. The Department estimated the costs that might be incurred by trustees, scheme administrators and insurers in providing data as a Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) published on 4 April 2005 as part of the Consultation Document on the Financial Assistance Scheme Draft Regulations 2005. This was placed in the Library of the House.
	This estimated that the cost of providing information to determine scheme eligibility might be around £250 per scheme. The costs for providing member data might vary from £15 to £75 per member depending on the how easy the data was to obtain. The costs for each scheme would also depend on the size of the scheme. The RIA concluded that the total cost of providing FAS with member data would be between £2 million and £3.4 million, which in relation to the 70,000 to 80,000 affected members we might expect to need data on to establish the full extent of losses, works out at between £24 and £40 per member.

Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice is available to members of winding up pension schemes who are offered deemed buyback to assist them with their decision.

James Purnell: We have recently produced a deemed buyback fact sheet which gives information on the subject. This gives a brief explanation of deemed buyback and some of the issues that may need to be considered when deciding whether or not to adopt the option. This fact sheet will be sent by the National Insurance Contributions Office to anyone identified as qualifying for reinstatement. Only organisations registered with the Financial Services Authority are able to give financial advice.

Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department has obtained to assess the loss of contracted out state pension rights among members of pension schemes which started winding up between 1997 and 2005.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available. An estimate of the total amount of pension rights (including where relevant, contracted out rights) lost by members of pension schemes which started winding up between 1 April 1997 and 5 April 2005 was given in the annexe to the Government's response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman "Trusting In The Pensions Promise", which was published in June 2006.

Pensions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential costs to public funds of use of deemed buyback by members of pension schemes which started winding up between 1997 and 2004.

James Purnell: It is extremely difficult to produce an estimate to reasonable standards of reliability due to the lack of sufficient base data. Such estimates as we have are given in the following table. It must be emphasised that these figures are subject to high levels of uncertainty and therefore can be taken as a guide to potential costs only. The estimates assume, among other things, all those who qualify for deemed buyback will take up the option. They show a short-term increase in the funds being paid into the national insurance fund, followed by rising costs as the higher state benefit is paid out.
	
		
			  Deemed buyback policy cost estimate, £ million in nominal prices 
			   Additional pension cost  Transfer received  Total annual cost 
			 2007-08 15 -50 -40 
			 2008-09 15 -50 -35 
			 2009-10 15 -50 -35 
			 2010-11 15 -50 -35 
			 2011-12 15 -50 -35 
			 2012-13 20 — 20 
			 2013-14 20 — 20 
			 2014-15 20 — 20 
			 2015-16 20 — 20 
			 2016-17 25 — 25 
			 2017-18 25 — 25 
			 2018-19 30 — 30 
			 2019-20 30 — 30 
			 2020-21 30 — 30 
			 2021-22 30 — 30 
			 2022-23 30 — 30 
			 2023-24 30 — 30 
			 2024-25 30 — 30 
			 2025-26 30 — 30 
			 2026-27 30 — 30 
			 2027-28 30 — 30 
			 2028-29 30 — 30 
			 2029-30 30 — 30 
			 2030-31 30 — 30 
			 2031-32 25 — 25 
			 2032-33 25 — 25 
			 2033-34 25 — 25 
			 2034-35 25 — 25 
			 2035-36 20 — 20 
			 2036-37 20 — 20 
			 2037-38 20 — 20 
			 2038-39 20 — 20 
			 2039-40 15 — 15 
			 2040-41 15 — 15 
			 2041-42 15 — 15 
			 2042-43 15 — 15 
			 2043-44 10 — 10 
			 2044-45 10 — 10 
			 2045-46 10 — 10 
			  Notes: Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million and therefore may not sum.

Pensions: Information

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the merits of sending out payment advice and documentation for the state pension via e-mail.

James Purnell: The Pension Service is undergoing a transformation programme to make the best use of technology and new services in order to improve customer service and to increase efficiency and accuracy. An example of improvements already made is that customers can now claim their state pension entirely over the telephone, without the need to sign a claim form. Customers can also claim pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit in the same telephone call if appropriate, giving them access to four benefits in one call.
	We are constantly seeking to improve electronic communication channels with our customers. The full range of internet and e-mail possibilities is being considered with due regard to costs, benefits and security implications.

Renewable Energy

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much energy consumed by his Department is acquired from renewable sources.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions uses gas, electricity and oil to meet its energy needs. Of these utilities, electricity is the only one that can be acquired from renewable sources.
	The latest available figures for 2005-06 show that the Department consumed 327,460,763 kWh of electricity. Of this, 175,174,178 kWh were acquired from renewable sources. This accounts for 53.5 per cent. of the total electricity consumption.

State Pension

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 19 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1437W, on state pension national insurance contributions, what estimate he has made of how many women, to the nearest 10,000, began to receive state pension in each financial year from 1979-80 to 2004-05; and how many of those women had the number of qualifying years of national insurance contributions needed to earn a full basic state pension reduced by the operation of home responsibilities protection in respect of past receipt of child benefit.

James Purnell: holding answer 25 January 2007
	The information available is set out in the following table. The second column of the table shows the number of women aged 60 in each financial year from 1985-86 to 2004-05 with some entitlement to basic state pension. The third column shows how many of these women had the number of qualifying years needed to earn a full basic state pension reduced by the operation of home responsibilities protection.
	
		
			   Number of women with some entitlement to basic state pension  Number of women with home responsibilities protection 
			 1985-86 240,000 10,000 
			 1986-87 210,000 20,000 
			 1987-88 210,000 20,000 
			 1988-89 210,000 20,000 
			 1989-90 200,000 20,000 
			 1990-91 220,000 30,000 
			 1991-92 200,000 30,000 
			 1992-93 180,000 30,000 
			 1993-94 190,000 40,000 
			 1994-95 190,000 50,000 
			 1995-96 210,000 60,000 
			 1996-97 210,000 60,000 
			 1997-98 230,000 70,000 
			 1998-99 230,000 70,000 
			 1999-2000 240,000 80,000 
			 2000-01 240,000 90,000 
			 2001-02 250,000 100,000 
			 2002-03 290,000 120,000 
			 2003-04 310,000 140,000 
			 2004-05 330,000 160,000 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000. 2. Figures refer to women living in the UK and overseas. 3. Information at this level of detail is not reliable before 1985. 4. Figures refer to entitlement based on women's own contribution record. 5. Some women who reach state pension age in a particular year with some entitlement to basic state pension may defer their entitlement and claim in a later year. Source: Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2003-04

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many letters to her Department sent from hon. Members during Session 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) over six months old.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is not available in the format requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	Within the 2005-06 Session 14,911 letters were received from hon. Members and Members of the devolved Administrations, of which 12,126 required a reply. 8,290 were answered within 20 working days of receipt.
	During 2006 11,098 letters were received from hon. Members and Members of the devolved Administrations, of which 8,994 letters required a reply. 5,342 were answered within 20 working days.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The Report for 2005 was published in 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 75-78WS. Information relating to 2006 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready.